Extreme Heat: Too Hot for Your Health
Heat pushes the body beyond its limits. Under normal
conditions, you make sweat that evaporates and cools your body.
However, when it is quite hot and humid, evaporation of sweat is
slowed and the body has to work extra hard to stay at a normal
temperature. Too much heat is not safe for anyone. It is even worse
for older people and for those who have health problems. Health
problems that put you at risk for a heat-related illness include:
• Heart or blood vessel problems, poorly working sweat glands,
or changes in the skin caused by normal aging.
• Heart, lung or kidney disease, as well as any illness that makes
you feel weak all over or cause a fever.
• High blood pressure or other conditions that require a diet
change, such as a low salt diet. Check with your doctor.
• Taking medicines, such as water pills, nerve pills, and some
heart and blood pressure medications that make it harder for
your body to sweat.
• Taking several medications for a variety of health problems.
Keep taking prescribed drugs and check with your doctor.
• Being quite a bit overweight or underweight.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages.
2
Other factors that can also put you at risk of heat-related
illness are:
• An extremely hot house or apartment
• Lack of transportation to a cooler place
• Overdressing due to not feeling the heat
• Visiting overcrowded places
• Not understanding weather conditions
Hot weather can actually cause a variety of heat-related illnesses.
Headache, confusion, dizziness, or nausea could be signs of heatrelated illness. However, the two most common problems are heat
exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke is especially dangerous
for older people and requires emergency medical care.
Heat exhaustion is a warning that the body is getting too hot.
You may be thirsty, dizzy, weak, uncoordinated, nauseated, and
sweat a lot. The body temperature is usually normal, and the pulse is
normal or faster. The skin is cold and clammy. Heat exhaustion is
treated by doing the following:
• Have the person lie down and rest in a cool place.
• Loosen clothing.
• Encourage the person to shower, bathe or sponge off with
cool water.
• Offer fluids, but avoid alcohol and caffeine. Water and fruit
juices are best. Stop fluids if nausea occurs. If vomiting
occurs, seek immediate medical attention (call 911).
3
Heat stroke can be LIFE-THREATENING; medical care is
needed right away. A person with heat stroke has the following
signs:
• Fainting, possibly the first sign
• Body temperature over 104 degrees Fahrenheit
• Not sweating, despite the heat
• Dry, flushed skin
• A strong, fast pulse or a slow weak pulse
• A change in behavior such as confusion, being grouchy,
acting strangely or delirious or staggering
• Coma
Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Call 9-1-1 right
away! Delay can be fatal. Until emergency help arrives, move the
person to a cooler place if possible. Use fans and/or air conditioners.
Remove clothing. Sponge the person with cool water to reduce body
temperature. DO NOT GIVE FLUIDS.
Heat tends to make you lose fluids so when the weather is hot,
drink plenty of liquids, such as water or fruit or vegetable juices.
Avoid drinks that have caffeine or alcohol in them, since these drinks
make you lose more fluids. If your doctor has told you to limit your
liquids, be sure to ask what you should do when it is very hot. Eat
well-balanced light meals. Avoid hot, heavy meals.
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. Open windows on two sides of the building if
4
possible. Cover windows when they are in direct sunlight. Keep
curtains or blinds drawn during the hottest part of the day.
Dress for the weather in lightweight, loose-fitting clothes. 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.
Reduce, eliminate or reschedule activities. Do activities in the early
morning or in the evening.
Avoid crowded places when it’s hot outside. Plan trips during
non-rush hour times.
Avoid too much sun because sunburn slows the skin’s ability to
cool itself. Avoid going outside during the hottest part of the day,
noon to 4 pm.
Pay attention to weather reports. You are more at risk as the
temperature or humidity rise or when there is an air pollution alert in
effect.
If you do not have any air conditioning where you live, try to
spend at least two hours a day (if possible during the hottest part of
the day) in a place that is air-conditioned --- for example, a shopping
mall, a movie theater, a library, a senior center, or a friend’s house.
If you think you can’t afford to run your air conditioner or if you
need transportation to an air-conditioned place, please contact the
Union-Snyder Agency on Aging at 524-2100 or 374-5558.