Senior Health: Five Reasons Your Senior Is More Likely to Overheat

Senior Health: Every July 23rd is Hot Enough For Ya Day, and that’s fitting when each summer feels hotter than ever.

It’s vital to be on the alert for signs of overheating in your senior because older adults are more susceptible to overheating. Why is that? Here are a few reasons to look at to keep watch for optimal senior health.

 

Home Health Care in Auburn CA: Senior Health: Overheating

Home Health Care in Auburn CA: Senior Health: Overheating

Medications and Side Effects

Lots of different medications come with warnings about the sun and about overheating. Many medications also increase the possibility of dehydration. Between those two scenarios, your senior’s medications may be making her more likely to overheat a lot faster than you might expect she would.

Her Circulation May Be Worse

Blood vessels narrow with age and can even become stiffer, which causes all sorts of health issues. One problem during hot weather is that decreased circulation means that blood and oxygen aren’t flowing through your senior’s body the way they need to. This can very quickly lead to overheating.

She’s More Sedentary

Being less active than she used to be can contribute to overheating because your elderly family member may make other situations a lot worse. For instance, circulation issues are bad enough on their own, but when your elderly family member isn’t moving around much, that decreases circulation even more. She could also have nerve damage due to being sedentary, which is a problem on its own.

Her Nervous System Has Changed

As she ages, your senior’s nervous system functions differently than it did in the past. That means that the messages that let your senior know she’s cold or hot don’t necessarily get to her brain. She may start to overheat before she even realizes that her body is warmer, much less too warm.

Senior Health:  She’s Got Health Issues that Make Her More Sensitive to Heat

Existing health issues can make your elderly family member much more likely to be sensitive to heat. Heart disease, being overweight, or having diabetes are just a few of the health conditions that might make the heat worse for your senior. Doctor-recommended diets to help control those conditions, like reducing sodium, can also be a factor because your senior’s body does need salt to help with temperature regulation.

It’s important for your senior to have someone with her when the weather is extremely hot because she may not recognize signs of heat-related illness herself. Elderly care providers can be on the lookout for issues with senior health and get help for your senior when it’s necessary.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Auburn, CA, talk to the caring staff at Partners in Care today. Serving El Dorado, Nevada, Yuba, Sutter, Sacramento, Placer, Butte, Glenn, Yolo, & Colusa Counties!  Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! (530) 268-7423

 

Shaun Clinkinbeard
Latest posts by Shaun Clinkinbeard (see all)