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Q&A About the elderly and heat.

Question Why are elderly people more susceptible to heat-related illness than younger people?

Answer: One reason, experts say, is that the elderly are less sensitive to heat than they are to cold. As a result, old people living alone might not realize that it has become dangerously hot in their living space. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Elderly people do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature. They are more likely to have a medical condition that upsets normal body responses to heat. They are more likely to take prescription medicines that impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration.

Question: Are there also psychological factors?

Answer: Yes, experts say some of the elderly are reluctant t use air conditioners. “Many of them especially on the older end, were part of the the World War 11 generation and they lived through the Great Depression,” a professor of social work and associate director of the Institute for Applies Gerontology at Cal State L.A. “I think part of having gone through that is this idea that they have to conserve and watch their money.

Question: What cities experienced some of the highest, heat-related deaths?

Answer: Kansas City, Mo., and St. Louis together recorded 246 such deaths in 1980. And a massive heat wave in 1993 killed 118 people in Philadelphia. During a 1995 heat wave in Chicago, 730 people died.

Question: What is heatstroke?

Answer: The body gets so hot that the normal mechanisms for controlling temperature, such as perspiration, don’t work well or fail completely. The body’s temperature can rise to 106 degrees or higher. Symptoms include but are not limited to dizziness, hot and dry skin, high temperature, rapid pulse and headache.

What is heat exhaustion?

Answer: The body loses vital salts and water through perspiration. Symptoms include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headache, nausea, dizziness, tiredness and paleness.

Question: What are some tips for avoiding heat-related illnesses?

Answer: Drink plenty of water but avoid caffeine and alcohol, which cause fluid loss. Drink fruit juice or sports drinks to replace salt and minerals lost through sweat. Take advantage of shade and air conditioning. Children, the elderly and pets should never be left in an enclosed vehicle, even briefly. The temperature can quickly rise to life-threatening levels even with widows partly open.