Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion in Older Adults: What You Need to Know

Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion in Older Adults: What You Need to Know

The dog days of summer start earlier in the season and are hotter than ever. 

Record-breaking temperatures aren’t only uncomfortable, but they pose a range of health risks for many. 

Older adults need to be particularly careful in the heat. It’s worth noting that heat illness can occur in older people in temperatures below 85 degrees. Temperatures that reach the 90s or higher are even more concerning. 

In this article, we’ll look at two common heat-related illnesses—heat stroke and heat exhaustion. We’ll talk about signs to watch out for and how to respond if someone shows symptoms of either. We’ll also share tips for staying cool in the heat—and hopefully, avoid these illnesses altogether!

Signs and Symptoms of Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is a potentially life-threatening condition. Anyone suspected of suffering from heat stroke needs immediate medical attention.

What exactly is heat stroke? Heat stroke is an extreme overheating of the body. People with heat stroke usually have a temperature of at least 104 degrees. Other signs of heat stroke include, but are not limited to:

• Behavioral changes such as confusion and combativeness.
• A lack of sweat, despite elevated temperatures in the environment.
• Skin that is flushed and dry to the touch.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Headache.
• A rapid pulse.
• Dizziness or disorientation.
• Fainting or becoming unconscious.

Heat stroke is very serious and can lead to organ failure or death. If you suspect someone has a heat stroke, immediately call 911.

While you are waiting for help to arrive, there are some things you can do to help lower the person’s body temperature. 

• Move the person to a cooler spot if possible.
• Have the person lie down or limit movement.
• Apply cold wet cloths to the person’s body.
• Offer water or juice if the person is conscious and able to swallow.

If you get clearance from 911 or a doctor, you can also put the person in a cool shower or bath. None of these remedies is a substitute for proper medical attention. Delaying proper medical care can lead to more serious illnesses.

Signs and Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion 

Heat exhaustion, like heat stroke, occurs when the body overheats. The body’s normal temperature-regulating systems are overly taxed and can no longer keep it cool.

Many symptoms of heat exhaustion are similar to heat stroke.

Here are some of them:

• Dizziness.
• Nausea.
• Rapid pulse.
• Feeling weak or uncoordinated.

Other symptoms of heat exhaustion are different from symptoms of heat stroke. These can include:

• Excessive sweating.
• Thirst.
• Skin that’s cold and clammy.
• Normal body temperature.

While heat exhaustion isn’t considered as dangerous as heat stroke, you’ll still want to call a doctor. Heat exhaustion can advance to heat stroke and then become life-threatening. 

Why Older People are More Susceptible to Heat Illness

Our bodies adapt to changes in temperature all the time. We can thank our nervous system for automatically adjusting blood flow, shivering, and sweating to regulate our body temperature. As we get older, the nervous system doesn’t work as efficiently. Our bodies are slower to respond to extreme changes in temperature. In extreme heat, older adults:

• Become dehydrated more quickly, which increases the risk of overheating.
• Tend to sweat less, meaning they lose out on the cooling effects of sweat evaporation.
• Are more likely to have health conditions that effect their ability to adapt to temperature changes.
• Are more likely to take medication that affects how the body responds to temperature changes.

Take Risks of Extreme Heat Seriously

According to the National Weather Service, excessive heat causes more fatalities than any other type of weather. That’s why they alert the public when temperatures rise to dangerous levels. 

When temperatures rise quickly or are unusually high for your area, check your local weather stations. Local stations share heat warnings and advisories and give contact numbers for local agencies. Many agencies, especially in urban settings, set up cooling stations where residents can get relief from the heat.

Don’t downplay the seriousness of heat warnings or advisories. In excessive heat, do everything you can to avoid heat-related illness.

Ways to Stay Cool in the Heat

The best way to stay healthy in extreme heat is to prevent overheating in the first place. It’s easier to keep your body within a normal temperature range than it is to lower it if it gets overheated. 

Here are some helpful tips for staying cool in the heat.

Stay in air-conditioning Use air conditioning if you have it. If you only have air conditioning in one or two rooms, stick to those rooms as much as possible. If you don’t have air conditioning, call your local health department or senior center. They can give you information on cooling centers and may be able to arrange transportation. 

Drink fluids. Keep sipping fluids throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Dehydration can sneak up on you—much better to stay ahead of it. (If you have a medical condition that precludes drinking a lot of fluids, check with your doctor about managing extreme heat.)  

Avoid strenuous exercise. This should go without saying, but we all need reminders sometimes. If you have to do strenuous work, do it in the morning before the temps rise. Drink plenty of water and cool down ASAP. 

Dress in loose, cooling fabrics. Be sure your clothes are as light and cool as possible.  

Stay out of the sun. Temperatures in the sun can be 15 degrees hotter than the thermometer reads. Wait for cooler days to sit in the sun. 

Take cool showers A cool shower (or bath) does wonders to keep your whole-body cool. On extremely hot days, you can take two or three showers to consistently keep your body temperature down.

Use wet cloths or spray bottles. Cool water is your friend when it comes to beating the heat. If you don’t feel like getting in and out of the shower multiple times a day, you can still use water to keep you cool. 

Drape one or two small damp towels over you. Behind your neck is especially soothing in the heat, but experiment with what feels cooling to you. 

Get a clean spray bottle and mist yourself throughout the day. As the water evaporates, it will cool you down. Mist your face, head, arms, abdomen—again whatever gives you relief from the heat.

Use fans. We can’t pretend fans are as good as air-conditioning in helping beat the heat. But, if you combine them with spraying water on your skin or draping damp towels over yourself, you’ll be surprised at how much fans can cool you. There are even handheld fans that have a spray bottle attached. 

Lower shades and close curtains. Sunlight on a hot day will heat up your home like a green house. Block the sun out to keep your rooms as cool as possible.

Forget about cooking. Using the stove and oven will raise the temperature in your house. Luckily, most of us don’t want to eat hot, heavy meals in the heat. Eat cold foods. Salads, fruit, and popsicles are all cool. They’ll keep you hydrated, too. 

Check in on One Another

It’s a good idea to check in with older adults in hotter weather—especially if they live alone. Make sure they have ways to cool off or places to go if they don’t. 

Remember that older people are more susceptible extreme heat and heat illness, especially heat stroke, can be fatal.

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