Old or just stressed?

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Old or just stressed?

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I was thinking today when I tripped going up the handicap ramp in the garage, is this a part of getting old? Or is it just the stress of caregiving for hubby, financial disaster and/or having to work 25 hours a week?

It seems like for a few years now, if there is anything I can trip or stumble over, walk into or slip on, I will. If I can knock something over or drop something, I do.

I have become downright clumsy. I work in a daycare with the babies. Last week, I was carrying a baby and got my foot stuck in a bouncer on the floor. I almost went down, with the baby in my arms. Scary! I saw myself walking in a parking lot, toward the big windows of the store. I looked like I was stumbling and staggering. There was no grace in my gait. It was embarrassing.

Have any of you noticed this? Is it age...or something else? I have inherited clumsiness from Mom and Grandma, but neither one of them, to my memory, was this bad.

Difficulty Walking Loss of Coordination Senior Health

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I don't have an answer but I have followed your posts since I joined here last summer and have been amazed how you cope. I was sick over the holidays and lost my glasses. I felt like I was losing my mind. I went back to every place I had been to no avail. Maybe you could have a simple test. Stress is just the worst. Hope you feel better.

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Thanks, Riverdale. Sometime I wonder how I cope, too. 😊 Thankfully, hubby is pretty easygoing and I know if he had a choice, he wouldn’t chose disability and immobility.

I feel you about the glasses. My dog chewed mine up a few weeks ago and I had to wear an old pair with no nose pads. Very uncomfortable! Did you find them?

Thanks again!

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Stress and anxiety could cause a change in your balance and gait while walking. I can only imagine how much you do for your husband every day. How much are you doing for you? (As if there's time for us?) You're probably mentally and physically drained which could cause this. The other end is that could you have injured yourself in some way and possibly pinched a nerve? Best to have it checked out while you can still repair any damage. May be as simple as stretching exercises or a visit to the chiropractor? Sometimes you start to stagger when your body is saying enough, I need to rest, I've been pushed too far physically and mentally. Wish I had a better answer for you.

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Thanks, Takincare. I’ve wondered about a chiropractor. I have to do something. My PCP refuses to write prescriptions for Ambien or Xanax any longer so I’m pretty much on my own. I’ve started journaling, so when I remember, it does help to put my thoughts down. Also, I really like my job. The people I work with are very nice and I love working with the babies, even the ones who scream all day. 😏

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Just this afternoon, I was standing looking at the organic blueberries I had just picked up, and I tripped (not going anywhere!)
Since I fell in 2013, and again 2014 breaking same ankle each time, but on different sides of malleolus, and a diagnosis of radiculopathy of lower spine, ...........
my coordination surprises me. I can aim my foot/leg and it sometimes goes in it's own direction. The nerves must be firing wrong in my left leg, so I have been very careful to slow down, stop any meds that may contribute to imbalances. This includes some pain meds and g.e.r.d. meds for me. (and of course no statins and no b/p meds). Turns out I do not have high b/p. And, my aging brain might be to blame.

I have not fallen since....by being very careful, not rushing, slowing down, concentrating on my walking. Touching a wall or hand rail helps (not to hold me up) to balance (it seems to get my brain alerted).

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I am extremely careful, especially when I go outside, because if I fall, I could lie there for hours. Hubby has no phone to call 911 and I’m not sure he would realize what happened. I fell a few weeks ago when the dog wrapped her tie out around my ankles and then took off across the driveway. My luck to be standing on ice. I am sure I broke at least one rib if not more. I managed to get back up, but if I had hit my head...

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Ahmijoy,
A neurologist can assess what is going on with you. Then you will know how to fight it. Physical therapy and chiropractic can really help, and I believe your brain and body can be retrained and balanced. Maybe you just need a tune-up?

Have you ever read anything about white matter disease?
Not saying you or I have this, but some symptoms are similar as I was reading just last week.

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Thanks. I do understand what you’re saying. I am due for a physical in March and plan to bring this up. But, honestly, I truly believe most of my issues are not concentrating on what I’m doing. My thoughts go in so many directions at one time; the same when I’m trying to sleep. Lack of sleep could also be a reason I’ve gotten so clumsy. Basically, I just need to pay attention, I guess.

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Ahmijoy, we rushed DH off to his doctor last week when he thought he was having a heart attach or another Gerd episode. She told him it was a panic attack. This was an eye opener for a guy who always poopooed this issue, and thought that people who needed “to talk to somebody” were kind of weak. Anyway she recommended he try Headspace which is an online meditation app. He’s doing it faithfully every morning and we think it’s helping to get him thinking in ways he never did before. It only takes a few minutes a day and he looks forward to it now. It’s just a thought that might help your stress.

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Thanks, Rocket. I use the Calm app and it’s wonderful!

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A general loss of sensitivity is also an impact of hypothyroidism and diabetes. Even with thyroid replacement medications, my mother lost sensitivity in her hands to the point she dropped things or knocked them over instead of picking them up occasionally, more often when she was in pain from her bad back or exhausted. My understanding is reduced touch feedback leads us to think we have a good hold on something when we are in fact lightly gripping it.

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TNtechie,

How is the thyroid related to this? I too have thyroid issues. I do take meds for it.

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I am a "faller",,have been for years. I can trip over nothing. It is worse as I get older and more stressed, and my back and joints are shot. I just take it slow and easy, and hold on to handrails on steps and escalators. I also feel it is that I am distracted, and so I try to be more aware when I walk. And I take elevators a lot.

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Oh my gosh, know what you mean. I developed a phobia about escalators. I actually feel dizzy if I look down at the moving stairs. I take an elevator.

To think, my younger brother and I would run up the escalator and give my poor mom a heart attack is so funny now! Kids are fearless!

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Yes! I find out I don't pick up my feet. I can hear my Mom in my head "pick up your feet Jo Ann!". I think it comes from being tired.

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I do too. When I am tired I get clumsy.

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Stress will do this. I've had tons of accidents and "senior" moments when dealing with high stress of care giving. Make sure you take princess level care of yourself,
esp. going to all recommended doctors appts, eat right, exercise, meditate, get
support, and I'd say as important connect with church or whatever type spirituality
you align with. I've also gone to Naturopathic doctor with amazing results. Although buyer beware, alot of them are quacks and are also not as well covered by insurance. I get around this by going to regular doctor for most of my visits, xrays and labs, then skip the pills, procedures (if I can) and then get occasional second opinion and recommendation for supplements from Naturopath. Which I believe if proscribed by doctor can be deducted at tax time (I'm just about to find out) I highly recommend, it's made huge difference for me. Far fewer accidents and memory lapses now. And bladder incontinence, severe heart palpatations are much much improved as well.

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Try yoga. I have been practicing for 8 years and it has improved everything for me -- balance, focus, flexibility, core strength. And it is a great escape.

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Depends on your age and condition. Yes you can trip and fall but it should be extremely rare and unusual circumstances. Unless you are elderly, it is NOT normal to fall or be clumsy all the time, even with stress. I would see a neurologist if I were you. Tell your doctor and get a neurologist referral. Especially if you are working with babies and they get injured during a fall, you and the facility can get sued. Mothers will go after you big time.

I'm age 60 but I have excellent reflexes and under a considerable amount of stress caring for my end-stage Alzheimer's mom, and I have to keep a job because I will need a means of support after she dies (fortunately I have some support from my best friend who can sit with her while I work). I suffer a great deal of anxiety and depression that can be quite crippling, but I exercise daily and ride my bike. I also am diligent to keep my weight down and eat right.

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Hi Ahmijoy. I am 72. At what age do we become elderly, and falls become normal? I was sure I had beginning Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's like my brother, so I went to a neurologist. He cleared my worry in one visit, and had a few suggestions. If someone you were caring for had your symptoms, would you get them checked? Maybe a simple answer. God bless you, I enjoy your posts, and you deserve some care too.

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Grannie,

Parkinsons is something I fear due to my mom having it. Always in the back of our minds, isn’t it?

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It is a lot of things.
Stress
Tired
We do not pay attention to what we are doing, where we are going.
We forget that you have to pay attention to what we are doing.

There are things that can be done to increase balance and strength. That will help a lot
Paying attention and not multi-tasking
Getting enough rest

Many hospitals have a program designed to help prevent falls.
I was just at a Conference and there was a program about this. Here are some interesting facts that I learned.
30-35% of people 65+ fall each year
1 in 5 falls causes a serious injury.
Leading cause of death from injuries among people 65+ in 2010
Leading cause of non fatal injuries

Interesting thing is The fear of falling can cause you to restrict activities, but restricting your activity may actually lead to more falls. Inactivity results in muscle loss, loss of balance. It can also compromise social activities, increasing isolation, depression. So the far of falling can contribute to falling.

I would call the local hospital and ask if they have a fall prevention class, or ask at your local Senior Center.
Also ask the next time you are at the pharmacy if any of the medications you are taking can cause you to be drowsy, unsteady when you walk. (no one reads that huge piece of paper they give you with the medication)
And make sure you get your eyes checked as poor vision can be a problem.
Make sure you have bright lights, switch to LED's.
Remove area rugs

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Lots of great advice! Thanks.

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Well I have to laugh at this. Don't get me wrong. I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at myself. I'm only 53 and I've done that here and there over the last year. It's stress no doubt. Doing what we do for Our LO can and will drain you of energy and coordination. I'm thinking about hooking up a webcam at home. It's not for monitoring Mom but for watching ME! I've made a few; well quite a few to be honest; bonehead moves. Dropping a gallon of milk right on the floor thinking I was over the table is just one of many laughable moments. Putting my shoes on the wrong feet and only realizing it After I had both laced up. Yah, those are all good for a laugh or two. I mean I'm was fodder for YouTube on some days; still ahven't set up my webcams haha. Most of those you could just laugh off. Your mind is going a mile a minute with all that you do but could you run a 4 min mile anymore? Like me, I doubt it (P.S. I never could even in H.S. but that's our secret) and so our body can't keep up with how fast our mind is racing. We're under more stress than we realize. Everything that we're doing has crept into our lives and we adjust to each one; slowly over time. Think about this: Have you gone to work with your shirt on inside out or your sweatpants on backwards? Probably not but guess what....I HAVE! Yes I was embarrassed and the guys ribbed me for an hour but I ended up laughing at myself; which, in all actuality, made me feel better. That's the key, finding a release for the stress. For the last 3 months I've gone to bed with this (https://youtu.be/kEApbf440_8) playing on my desktop. It really helps me to relax and fall asleep easier. I've also had on (https://youtu.be/-vvpsIiUVKY) when I read for an hour everyday, which is mandatory My time before bed. Those are the two things; back to back everyday; have been helping me avoid becoming an inadvertent YouTube sensation. Take your time, breathe, find anything that helps you relax and de-stress, even for an hour a day. It's done wonders for me. BTW, I haven't gone out in public with my clothes on backwards since. :)

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Brilliant! The breath we take before we begin is terrifically important. It is also difficult to remember. Thank you for your story. I am reminded.

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Joy, I’m glad you asked this! It’s encouraging to see such a diligent caregiver giving thought to what’s going on with their own body. It’s far too easy to disregard and push back those thoughts and you definitely need to figure this out. Good to see below that you’ve got a doctor appointment coming up, hopefully that will help you get some answers and reassurance. You give such great care to your hubby and wonderful advice here, now take the care for you and let us know how it turns out

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Sending hugs. Thank you! ❤️❤️

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If you have always been Clumsy, You could see More in Store with "Getting on in Years, dear." However, With a Sick hubby, I would try and get an Aid in thee to Help take some of that Stress of you.

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See a neurologist

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If you have not had a full check up in a while, schedule one and tell your doctor about this concern. You need a full evaluation because this could be just age and stress or the start of something more serious. My husband became very clumsy, tripping over the dog, running into table legs, etc but once he was able to take control of his diabetes he greatly improved. Don't want to alarm you but there could be something that you need to be aware of and take care of before you get hurt.

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If you think you have stress, then you have stress. Write down what that is, become more aware of what are your concerns, and how to try to take baby steps to manage them better (if stress causes cannot be eliminated).

Seeing your doctor is a good idea, and will eliminate any health issue/s.

Maybe if you drawn, doing some strength or balance (or both?) workout 20 minutes a day for your lower body. There are so many free YouTube videos....there are many Yoga postures for balance, too.

It also sounds like you are not grounded. There are many visualizations you can spend a few minutes a day so you are staying aware, and in your body. Look it up...

Slowing down can help, too....trying to do too much too fast...be mindful about what you are doing. As we age, we think we can continue the way we always have, yet our bodies tell us otherwise.

Learn to listen to your body wisdom. It always speaks its truth and you count on it....

All the best to you!!

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First, I do not believe in placing blame on age for stuff. Many under 18 do not see 18 due to cancer. Babies born needing multiple heart surgeries. 20-somethings spending their whole youth never being able to take a slight step.
On the other side of the coin, more often than people want to accept, what you do I younger years matter. Any or varieties of unhealthful habits catch up with you over time, like, not wanting to properly exercise, and keep it going, and when facing slightest limitations, instead of asking doctor for help with exercises, even if just stating out on chair with light weights included, they just want to not do it, eating habits matter and proper hydration with proper ways to do it, bad habits catch up over time for a lot of the time. Keeping off extra weight off, not for vanity, but for better health to avoid extea health problems that would eventually lead to becoming a burde. If having trouble with that, God is willing and able if you take His lead, no matter how hard, even if it is truly a thyroid issue or other conditions, or meds. Thinking like we are old or getting old does not help, either. We must desire and follow through on thinking like we are young. We must fight harder to have optimal health as we get elder. The elder, the harder, dictate and control our age instead of those two things control us. If we want optimal health, and keep from getting worse, sacrifices of comfort things had to be made, and willingness to adopt healthful habits.
If it was always about age, then no one passed a certain age would ever be able to live alone and without assistance. No baby would be born with complications of their health.
I had to stop bike riding at 25, due to knees. I am now 43 just about, and since last year, have to lean against something or sit down to dress my lower half, so I do not lose balance.

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Yep, if I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself when I was young.

You haven't reached the age where stuff happens and stuff just hurts, come back and preach it when you do. Cuz, right now you are a clueless babe.

No offense intended.

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Ubelievable, as I Have been experiencing the same issues with physical bruises and scratches and bumps. Ready to go see a neurologist as I also have blurred vision Not always but that could be allergies. I'm curious to hear if this is part of caregiver burnout

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Weird this came up, as this is kind of happening to me lately with no explanation and I wonder what is going on at times. Not often at all, but has me concerned with the incidents I have had. No family members have had this either. Maybe it is caregiver stress? I know I have just been diagnosed with sleep apnea, maybe this will fix things, time will tell.

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When you get tired, you don't pick up your foot enough so your toe will catch on the floor. When I was young and worked long hours this would happen to me.

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First thing is have your vision checked. Stumbling is a clear sign of cataracts impairing vision. Next, start exercising your core. As we age, we lose muscle mass and the weaker we are, the easier it is to trip. Last, make sure you see a doctor. When we are busy caregiving, it is sooo easy to lose track of our own needs.

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By all means, get a complete physical. Tripping, falling and dropping things, in addition to extreme fatigue, sent me to the doctor 20 years ago, where I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis (hypothyroidism). You could also have pernicious anemia (another autoimmune disease).

If it's nothing physical, it could be the stress. Our brains are so wrapped around planning, scheduling, thinking about either what we've done or what we have yet to do, that it somehow forgets to control the simplest functions. (This is a totally unscientific hypothesis that I developed after I walked into our patio door and broke my nose while I was taking out the garbage and thinking about what I was going to make Mom for lunch.)

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I have no authority on this, but you’ve my sympathy, so... I notice when loved ones have more birthdays they can be sprightly and bright, then they start to stumble, just like you describe. I think it’s utter weariness. I think it’s a body’s way of saying “give me a break!” You sound like you need that break yourself.
By way of illustration- one relative had reached the stumbling/falling point after retirement and widowhood. Tired, dull and completely disinterested in anything new. A year later, he’s texting us in U.K. from. Jacuzzi overlooking a golf course in USA! He found someone to love and who had the generosity of heart and spirit to love him back. They had a completely new lease of life together.
This might be an unlikely sequence of events for you, but it does show that with care and interest and very probably lots of sleep, things can bubble up again.
good luck.

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Oh my gosh, I am clumsy at times. I think being stressed has a lot to do with it. Sometimes I will drop something 3 or 4 times in a row or like you trip on things.

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Are you meeting your nutritional needs? When caregiving, there can be a tendency to eat sweet instead of eating sensibly. It goes with the stress. This is why so many of us caregivers gain weight.

The last 6 months of my DH's live were extremely difficult for both of us and I practically lived on Ice Cream. It was the only thing my body wanted to eat. I regained 50 lbs in 2+ years.

2 weeks after he passed, I decided to lose the weight again and here I am, 9 months later, and 50 lbs lighter again. Nutrition really is #1.

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Sometimes I don’t even want to eat. Is that normal? I always feed my mom and husband but not always interested in eating due to caring for mom on a daily basis.

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Wow, I am 69 now and the exact same thing has been happening to me for about 8 yrs. I have fallen a few times, broke my wrist once. Stagger into walls. Last night at a movie theater I did it, husband said "Are you drunk? Haha"

I also was in childcare w/babies and did fall, twice. I felt that I had to give up my career w/children.

I've had neurology work ups, nothing shows up.

Did rehab a few years ago to learn the best way to place my feet when walking.

I don't know what we should do!!! Pls let me know if you find an answer. Thxs!

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Have yourself evaluated by a doctor. You may have vertigo or some other correctable problem. I woke up with vertigo one morning. Two visits to PT fixes it. Have you had your eyes checked in the last year. If not please do so. There is a specific physical therapy called balance training. See if you can go to that. Once you have had the training, you MUST do the exercises at least several times a week. It's use it or lose it. The older you get the quicker you lose everything without maintainance. I stand on one foot on a pillow for two minutes straight every day. I have great balance. Start without the pillow, standing next to a counter but do not hold on. Try just 15 seconds. Do multiple times a day and work your way up to two minutes. After that try the pillow to make it harder. If I didn't do that, my balance would go down hill. Just for fun, I'll mention that dancing is a great way to challange your balance.

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Thanks Toadhall! I've had severe vertigo twice, both times right after hitting my head badly - once it was a whole week! If it happens again, I'll remember PT. Also, been asking DH about going dancing lately, and he's thinking about it - yeaah - it's been years....

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Definitely have yourself checked out by your doctor to see what is amiss with your feet, legs and gait.

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