Heat-Related Health Dangers for Older Adults Soar During the Summer

Experts at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute on Aging recommend strategies to help reduce the risk of hyperthermia in older adults. One strategy is knowing associated risk factors. These can include age-related changes to skin such as poor blood circulation and deficient sweat glands; heart, lung, and kidney diseases, and any illness causing general weakness or fever; high blood pressure or other conditions requiring dietary adjustments; reduced sweating caused by medications like diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, and certain heart and blood pressure drugs; taking multiple drugs for various conditions; being significantly overweight or underweight; dehydration; and consumption of alcohol. Also compounding the risk are lifestyle factors such as extremely hot living quarters, lack of transportation, overdressing, visits to overcrowded places, and lack of awareness of proper response to weather conditions. Older people are recommended to remain indoors on particularly hot and humid days, especially when an air pollution alert is in effect. They should stay cool by drinking plenty of fluids and wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothes in natural fabrics. People who lack fans or air conditioning should maintain coolness in their homes as much as possible or go to cool centers, which are often hosted by senior communities, religious groups, and social service organizations.