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Older,
Colder a Bad Combination
Hypothermia
is a serious, life-threatening condition marked by an abnormally
low internal body temperature, one that develops when body heat
is lost to the environment faster than the body can replace it.
Contrary to popular opinion, however,
the temperature does not have to be below freezing for hypothermia
to occur, especially in vulnerable individuals.
The elderly in particular are vulnerable
to developing a low body temperature after exposure to conditions
of mild cold that would produce only moderate discomfort in younger
people.
Among the elderly, those most likely
to develop hypothermia are those who are sick, frail, very old
or those too poor to afford effective home heating systems. The
risk is especially elevated for those who are medically vulnerable
and unaware of or confused about how to keep warm when temperatures
drop.
Others who are susceptible include
individuals who live alone or in isolated or very rural communities
(particularly if they don't have access to telephones to call
for help in case of accident or illness); those who do not shiver
or react to cold; and those who take certain medications that
prevent the body from regulating temperatures normally, such as
anti-depressants, sedatives, tranquilizers and cardiovascular
drugs.
Hypothermia is a serious, life-threatening
condition that can result in illness or death. Although there
are no accurate data on the number of elderly persons affected,
estimates suggest those impacted by temperature-regulating defects
may comprise more than 10 percent of the over-65 population.
Practical advice for the elderly
during colder weather includes:
- If you live alone, arrange for
a daily check-in call with a friend, neighbor or relative.
- Insulate your home. Caulking
is a particularly low-cost and effective technique to preserve
indoor heat and keep cold air at bay.
- Wear warm clothing. Instead of
tight clothing, wear several loose, warm layers. Wear a hat
and scarf to avoid significant heat loss through the head and
neck. Stay dry. Moisture from perspiration, rain or melting
snow can seriously reduce or destroy the insulating value of
clothing because water conducts body heat over 25 times faster
than air.
- Use extra blankets because hypothermia
can develop during sleep.
- Eat nutritious foods and exercise
moderately; proper diet and physical conditioning help protect
against temperature extremes.
- Get proper rest because fatigue
causes greater vulnerability to subnormal heat and cold.
- Drink adequate amounts of liquids,
but limit alcohol intake because alcohol speeds up body heat
loss.
More information
For more tips on the prevention
and treatment of hypothermia, visit the Hypothermia.Org.
Reference
Source 101
For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
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