Over 65 and not worried about heat? You should be

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Over 65 and not worried about heat? You should be

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer –

CHICAGO (AP) — This week's heat wave may be uncomfortable, but you're healthy,

active and feel just fine. So what if you're over 65? Think again. Feeling good

doesn't mean you're safe.

There are changes in an older person that raise the risk for heat stroke and

other problems. An older body contains far less water than a younger one. Older

brains can't sense temperature changes as well, and they don't recognize thirst

as easily.

Blistering summer heat is an underappreciated killer, claiming by some estimates

as many as 1,000 U.S. lives each year — more than any other type of weather.

One federal study found 40 percent of heat-related deaths were in people 65 and

older. Those numbers could be lower if more heeded heat warnings aimed at

seniors. Yet research has shown many people over 65 don't think the warnings

apply to them — because they don't think they're " old. " .

Don Worden is 79 and an avid tennis buff who prefers playing doubles on outdoor

courts along Chicago's lakefront — even in oppressive 90-degree temperatures

like those hitting the Midwest this week.

" I don't pay too much attention to those " warnings, Worden said. " I stay in

pretty good shape, and I don't feel they apply to me. "

Worden said he drinks a lot of water and would stop a match if he started

feeling effects from the heat, " but that hasn't happened. "

Sheridan, who studies the effects of heat and climate on health at Kent

State University, researched how people over 65 view heat warnings. In his 2006

study of more than 900 people, he found about 70 percent knew about advice to

drink plenty of water on very hot days, avoid outdoor activities and stay inside

with air conditioning. But only about half said they followed the advice.

" People well into their 70s would say old people should watch out but not them, "

he said. " People just didn't want to be thought of in that same category. "

Dr. Zich, an emergency medicine specialist at Northwestern Memorial

Hospital, said he has colleagues in medicine that age who shun being thought of

as " elderly. " But those heat warnings apply to them, too.

As Dr. Dale, geriatrics chief at the University of Chicago Medical

Center explains it, " Any older adult has less reserve and is more likely to

become dehydrated than others, just because their overall body water goes down

with age no matter how healthy you are. "

The amount of water in the body declines with aging, from about 80 percent in

young adulthood to about 55 to 60 percent for people in their 80s, Dale said.

Temperature sensors in the brain become less sensitive as people age, so the

body doesn't get the same signals to drink water in hot weather, and older

people often don't feel thirsty even when they need to replenish, Dale said.

They also may not feel the typical symptoms of dehydration, such as headache or

dizziness. Some complain of just feeling " bad " and think they're getting sick,

he said.

Conditions were ripe for those types of complaints Tuesday as a dense dome of

hot air remained parked over much of the nation's midsection, raising

temperatures into the mid- to upper-90s from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Rockies

and the northern Plains. Tropical-level humidity raised the heat index in many

places to nearly 120 degrees.

In South Dakota, up to 1,500 head of cattle died across the state from the heat.

And in eastern Iowa, the scorching sun caused a portion of Interstate 380 to

buckle. The weather also sent dozens of people to hospitals, canceled outdoor

sporting events and caused sporadic power outages.

In such conditions, dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion and potentially

deadly heat stroke. During a heat wave, that can happen in a matter of hours in

older people if they over-exert themselves, don't drink enough water or are

frail and don't get out of uncooled homes, said Dr. Carpenter, an

emergency medicine physician at Washington University School of Medicine in St.

Louis.

Heat exhaustion can cause muscle cramps, low blood pressure, rapid pulse and

nausea. It can be treated at home, by drinking water, getting into an

air-conditioned room or sitting in front of a fan and misting the body with cool

water.

But affected people should be monitored for mental changes and to make sure

their temperature does not rise above 102 because the condition can quickly lead

to heat stroke. A medical emergency, heat stroke involves temperatures of 104 or

higher and can cause seizures, loss of consciousness and death.

Medicines many older people take also may make them more vulnerable to the heat.

These include diuretics for high blood pressure, which increase urination — and

make it more important to drink plenty of water, Dale said.

Some types of drugs can interfere with sweating and raise body temperature,

including some medicines for insomnia, nausea, prostate conditions, Parkinson's

disease and even Benadryl. Many list " dry mouth " as a side effect — a tip-off to

drink more water, Zich said.

There aren't specific guidelines on how much water older people should drink in

a heat wave.

Dale said he generally tells his older patients to drink a quart of water

throughout the day, and to drink even if they don't feel thirsty.

Doctors also advise older patients to avoid alcohol and coffee during extreme

heat because they can cause the body to lose fluid and contribute to

dehydration.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/07/20/business-us-heat-wave-seniors_8574557.\

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http://www.ajc.com/health/over-65-and-not-1027145.html

How to Spot and Treat Health Problems Caused by Heat

It's important to recognize when hot weather is making you sick, and to get

help. Here's a list of health problems caused by heat, and what you need to know

about them:

Dehydration

What it is: A loss of water in your body; this can be deadly.

Warning signs: Weakness, headache, muscle cramps, dizziness, confusion, and

passing out.

What to do: Call your doctor or 911. Meanwhile, drink plenty of water and, if

possible, " sports drinks " such as Gatorade, which contain important salts called

" electrolytes " that your body loses when you're dehydrated.

Heat stroke

What it is: A very dangerous rise in your body temperature; it can be deadly,

too.

Warning signs: A body temperature of 103 or higher; red, hot and dry skin; a

fast pulse; headache, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, confusion, and passing out.

What to do: Call 911 immediately. Move to a cool, shady place, take off or

loosen heavy clothes, drink water or drinks such as Gatorade. If possible, douse

yourself with cool water, or use cold, wet compresses to help lower your body

temperature.

Heat exhaustion

What it is: Illness caused by too much heat and dehydration

Warning signs: Heavy sweating or no sweating, muscle cramps, tiredness,

weakness, paleness, cold or clammy skin, dizziness, headache, nausea or

vomiting, and fainting.

What to do: Without delay, move to a cool, shady place, and drink plenty of cool

fluids, such as water, or drinks such as Gatorade. If you don't feel better

fast, call 911.

Heat syncope

What it is: Fainting caused by high temperatures

Warning signs: Dizziness or fainting.

What to do: Lie down and put your feet up, and drink plenty of water and cool

fluids such as Gatorade.

http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/hot_weather_tips.php