Click to open document as a PDF Hyperthermia—Too
Hot for Your Health Irene
used to be a schoolteacher. Now retired, she loves to work in her garden.
Because she has always spent hours outside, digging, weeding, and
planting, she believes the heat and humidity of Midwestern summers
doesn’t bother her. Then last year an unusual heat wave hit her area for
a week. Every day the temperature was over 100° F, and the humidity was
at least 90%. Irene’s house only has one large fan. It just wasn’t
enough to fight the effect of the heat and humidity on her body. Five days
into the heat wave, her daughter came over because Irene sounded confused
on the phone. She found her mom passed out on the kitchen floor. The
ambulance came quickly when called, but Irene almost died. She had heat
stroke, the most serious form of hyperthermia. Almost
every summer there is a deadly heat wave in some part of the country. Too
much heat is not safe for anyone. It is even riskier if you are older or
if you have health problems. It is important to get relief from the heat
quickly. If not, you might begin to feel confused or faint. Your heart
could become stressed, and sometimes this causes death. Your body is always working to keep a
balance between how much heat it makes and how much it loses. Your brain
is the thermostat. It sends and receives signals to and from parts of your
body that affect temperature, such as the spinal cord, muscles, blood
vessels, skin, and glands that make substances known as hormones. Too much
heat causes sweating. When the sweat dries from your skin, the
surface of your body cools
and your temperature goes down. Being in heat for too long can cause
many illnesses, all grouped under the name
hyperthermia (hy-per-ther-mee-uh): $
Heat cramps are the painful tightening of muscles in your stomach area,
arms, or legs. Cramps can result from hard work or exercise. While your
body temperature and pulse usually stay normal during heat cramps, your
skin may feel moist and cool. Take these cramps as a sign that you are too
hot — find a way to cool your body down. Be sure to drink plenty of
fluids, but not those containing alcohol or caffeine. $
Heat edema is a swelling in your ankles and feet when you get hot.
Putting your legs up should help. If that doesn’t work fairly quickly,
check with your doctor. $
Heat syncope is a sudden dizziness that may come on when you are active in
the heat. If you take a form of heart medication known as a beta blocker
or are not used to hot weather, you are even more likely to feel faint
when in the heat. Putting your legs up and resting in a cool place should
make the dizzy feeling go away. $
Heat exhaustion
is a warning that your body can no longer keep itself cool in
the hot air surrounding it. You might feel thirsty, dizzy, weak,
uncoordinated, nauseated, and sweat a lot. Your body temperature is still
normal, and your pulse might be normal or raised. Your skin feels cold and
clammy. Resting in a cool place, drinking plenty of $
Heat stroke is an emergency — it can be life threatening! You
need to get medical help right away. Getting to a cool place is very
important, but so is treatment by a doctor. Many people die of heat stroke
each year. Older people living in homes or apartments without air
conditioning or good airflow are at most risk. So are people who don’t
drink enough water or those with chronic diseases or alcoholism.
Who
Is at Risk? Around
200 people die each year during very hot weather. Most are over 50 years
old. The temperature outside or inside does not have to hit 100° F for
you to be at risk for a heat-related illness. Health problems that put you
at risk include: $
Heart or blood vessel
problems, poorly working sweat glands, or changes in your skin caused by
normal aging. $
Heart, lung, or kidney
disease, as well as any illness that makes you feel weak all over or
causes a fever. $
High blood pressure or
other conditions that make it necessary for you to change some of the
foods you eat. For example, if you are supposed to avoid salt in your
food, your risk of heat-related illness may be higher. Check with your
doctor. $
Conditions treated by
drugs such as diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, and some heart and
blood pressure medicines. These may make it harder for your body to cool
itself by perspiring. $
Taking several drugs
for a variety of health problems. Keep taking your prescriptions, but ask
your doctor what to do if the drugs you are taking make you more likely to
become overheated. $
Being quite a bit
overweight or underweight. $
Drinking alcoholic
beverages. How
Can I Lower My Risk? Things
you can do to lower your risk of heat-related illness: $
Drink plenty of
liquids — water or fruit and vegetable juices. Every day you should
drink at least eight glasses to keep your body working properly. Heat
tends to make you lose fluids so it is very important to drink at least
that much, if not more, when it is hot. Avoid drinks containing caffeine
or alcohol. They make you lose more fluids. If your doctor has told you to
limit your liquids, ask him or her what you should do when it is very hot.
$
If you live in a home
or apartment without fans or air conditioning, be sure to follow these
steps to lower your chance of heat problems: o
open windows at night; o
create cross-ventilation by opening windows on two sides of
the building; o
cover windows when they are in direct sunlight; and o
keep curtains, shades or blinds drawn during the hottest part
of the day. $
Try to spend at least
2 hours a day (if possible during the hottest part of the day) some place
air-conditioned — for example, the shopping mall, the movies, the
library, a senior center, or a friend’s house if you don’t have air
conditioning. $
Check with your local
area agency on aging to see if there is a program that provides $
If you think you
can’t afford to run your air conditioner in the summer, contact your $
Ask a friend or
relative to drive you to a cool place on very hot days if you don’t have $
Pay attention to the
weather reports. You are more at risk as the temperature or humidity
rise or when there is an air pollution alert in effect. $
Dress for the weather.
Some people find natural fabrics such as cotton to be cooler than
synthetic fibers. Light-colored clothes reflect the sun and heat better
than dark colors. If you are unsure about what to wear, ask a friend or
family member to help you select clothing that will help you stay cool. $
Don’t try to
exercise or do a lot of activities when it is hot. $
Avoid crowded places
when it’s hot outside. Plan trips during non-rush hour times. What
Should I Remember? Headache,
confusion, dizziness, or nausea when you’re in a hot place or during hot
weather — these could be a
sign of a heat-related illness. Go to the doctor or an
emergency room to find out if these are caused by the heat or not.
To keep heat-related illnesses from becoming dangerous heat stroke,
remember to: $
Get out of the sun and
into a cool place — it would be best if it is air-conditioned. $
Offer fluids, but
avoid alcohol and caffeine. Water and fruit and vegetable juices are best. $
Shower or bathe, or at
least sponge off with cool water. $
Lie down and rest, if
possible in a cool place. $
Visit your doctor or
an emergency room if you don’t cool down quickly. Resources To
find your local area agency on aging look in the telephone book or
contact: National
Association of Area Agencies on Aging For
information on LIHEAP, contact your state LIHEAP office. For that number,
call your local area agency on aging or write or look on the Internet: Office
of Community Services The
National Institute on Aging has free information on health and aging:
|
|
|