5 Dangers of Heat Stroke and Exhaustion for the Elderly

By CarePatrol

Hot weather is a concern all over the United States, but especially in Arizona heat stroke and heat exhaustion are deadly for the elderly.

Seniors are especially at risk due to increased age-related health problems and medication that affects the body.

The elderly should take extra care regarding these 5 heat-related dangers.

Dehydration– Tea, soda, and certain types of medication can be dehydrating, especially in excess on a hot day. Be sure to drink plenty of water.
Wearing dark or heavy clothes– Sunlight absorbs into dark clothing which raises your core body temperature. Wearing many layers on a hot day is also not a good idea.
Being outdoors between 10am and 6pm– This is the hottest time of the day and should be a planned time to spend time indoors and relax. This is not the time to be doing Zumba outside and if you must be active, stay in an air-conditioned facility such as the mall.
Broken AC unit or no AC available– If you don’t have air conditioning then go to a family member’s place (that has AC) or a neighbor that you know (also with AC). A cool bath can also be an option if the other two are unavailable. Any public place, such as a store or movie theater, has air conditioning, and that is better than staying at home in the heat.
Feeling dizzy or having nausea– These are two of many signs of heat-related illness.

Go to Web MD’s website http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/understanding-heat-related-illness-symptoms to learn more about the symptoms of heat-related illness (Understanding Heat-Related Illness — Symptoms, n.d.).

Understanding Heat-Related Illness — Symptoms. (n.d.). Retrieved from Web MD: http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/understanding-heat-related-illness-symptoms