- With Mayo Clinic geriatrician
Paul Y. Takahashi, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Paul Y. Takahashi, M.D.
Paul Y. Takahashi, M.D.
"The Internet will impact the lives of all patients young and old. Older and mature patients are no exception to this information explosion." — Dr. Takahashi
Dr. Paul Yoshio Takahashi works with elderly patients as a member of the geriatric consultative group at Mayo Clinic. He works in all medical settings, including the outpatient clinic, the hospital, the nursing home and occasionally the patient's home. He is especially interested in strategies for successful aging, preventing elder abuse and mistreatment, and cognitive screening in elderly patients.
Dr. Takahashi is a consultant, Department of Medicine, Division of Community Medicine, at Mayo Clinic. He is an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He had a fellowship in geriatric medicine at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine from 1997 to 1998.
Dr. Takahashi cares for all of a patient's acute needs and chronic problems and focuses on specialty issues such as memory problems, safety in the home, healthy aging, proper medications and end-of-life concerns.
He sees the Internet playing a growing role in the health information field.
"Patients and their families want and expect the most up-to-date information about life, health, disease and death. Healthy aging as a concept has grown quickly over the last 20 years as we have all lived longer and hopefully better," he says. "I expect that Mayo Clinic will be a significant part of this growing movement of a healthy maturity."
Dr. Takahashi, a native of Pittsfield, Ill., joined Mayo Clinic in 1998 and is board certified in internal medicine with added qualification in geriatric medicine. He is a fellow of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Question
Low blood sodium (hyponatremia) in older adults
My mother's doctor says she has low blood sodium (hyponatremia). What causes this? How is it treated?
Answer
from Paul Y. Takahashi, M.D.
Hyponatremia occurs when you have an abnormally low amount of sodium in your blood or when you have an excess of water in your blood plasma. Low blood sodium is common in older adults, especially those who are hospitalized or living in long term care facilities. Older adults usually become ill with hyponatremia due to age-related causes that affect the way they metabolize water, such as:
- An excessive water intake
- Less frequent urination
- Changes in the kidneys, such as decreased mass or blood flow
Other factors and conditions that could affect your mother's blood sodium level that aren't related to her water metabolism include:
- Taking certain medications, such as diuretics, antidepressants and pain medications
- Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency)
- Severe vomiting or diarrhea
- Cirrhosis
- Kidney failure
- Heart failure
- An excess of anti-diuretic hormone
The signs and symptoms of hyponatremia are nonspecific and occur in many conditions. The only way a doctor can confirm whether you have hyponatremia is by a blood test. Signs and symptoms of hyponatremia may include:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Confusion
- Lethargy
- Decreased consciousness or coma
Severe hyponatremia may lead to rapid, fatal swelling of the brain. Treatment of hyponatremia varies, depending on its cause. Your mother's doctor may try to fix the underlying cause first, such as changing her medication. A second course of action might be to improve her low blood sodium with changes in her water and salt consumption. Your mother's doctor can advise you on the best way to treat her condition.
