The syndrome often occurs once children have moved away, and a partner has died or is dying. An elderly person with nobody left to cook for, or without the skills to cook, will revert to a diet of simple foods such as bread, cheese and crackers, and canned foods. These simple diets with poor protein and salt content often lead to decreased solute and increased water intake. Patients with poor kidney function, or low glomerular filtration rate, are at even higher risk of hyponatremia due to increased water retention. According to the New York Times, as many as 60% of seniors living at home are either malnourished or at risk of becoming malnourished. In addition to the problems lack of nutrients will cause, this state also means that the complications of other illnesses, even the common cold, can be much more severe. Factors that lead to the syndrome include poverty, social isolation, psychological issues such as depression, loss of<unk> e and smell, chronic illnesses that cause a lack of appetite, dental problems that result in difficulty chewing and swallowing foods, a decline in cognitive functioning, alcoholism, and physical disabilities and limitations. Though less of a factor than psychological issues, the increased number of medications often taken by elderly people can also affect eating habits. These medications may suppress appetite, make food<unk> e different, or affect how nutrients are absorbed, making it even less likely seniors will get the required nutrients. 8% of seniors suffer from hyponatremia, although it is unclear how much of that is due to "tea and<unk> " diets. The prevalence of hyponatremia in the elderly population may be even higher in health care settings. The hyponatremia is believed to arise as a result of a diet poor in salt and protein with large water intake in combination with a low glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The low GFR causes a lowered rate of osmole excretion, and an increase in the amount of water reabsorbed; thus, the hyponatremia occurs when the amount of water intake exceeds the renal water excretion capacity. Medications, such as thiazides and antidepressants, may exacerbate symptoms of hyponatremia.
Tea and toast syndrome
Mucus fishing syndrome
Plummer–Vinson syndrome
Bloom syndrome
Mallory–Weiss syndrome
Oral allergy syndrome
Floating–Harbor syndrome
Cooks syndrome