By Karen Guice | Webster Parish Council on Aging
Karen’s Korner,
As we grow older, our bodies change in many ways. Senior adults have to take these changes into account, in order to live longer and healthier lives.
We cannot adjust to temperature differences as well as younger people can, so it’s a strain on our body in multiple ways — the respiratory tract, the heart, the kidneys and mental activity can be affected by high or extreme temperatures.
The summer months are upon us now and we need to be aware of these dangers and take precautions to protect ourselves.
“Older adults often have reduced ability to regulate body temperature, making them more susceptible to heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and respiratory stress from wildfire smoke.” University of Cincinnati.
“Certain medications can increase sensitivity to heat, and chronic conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, and lung disease can worsen during extreme events.” National Institute on Aging.
“Prolonged heat exposure can also disrupt sleep, affect mental activity, and strain the cardiovascular system.” University of Cincinnati.
We need to be mindful of this information, and now that we are, we need to do a little research to best identify the ways to combat these extreme summer conditions.
We see the problems, and now we need some solutions.
Stay tuned for more information on “How To Beat the Heat!”