Summertime and the livin’ is easy, according to the jazz-inspired lullaby of Porgy and Bess.
Unfortunately, summertime living also offers some challenges. Summer is the season when heat-related illnesses claim the lives of hundreds every year. Older adults are especially susceptible to extreme heat. As you age your ability to efficiently regulate your body temperature weakens.
We recently suffered a record-breaking weather event in the Pacific Northwest. If you were in town, you experienced it. It was at the top of everyone’s list of things to talk about.
It got hot.
How hot? So hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. Or, courtesy of my mother’s southern roots, hotter’n a blister bug in a pepper patch.
We experienced something unusual and frightening. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called it a heat dome. It’s when high-pressure circulation behaves like a dome and traps heat at the earth’s surface. NOAA scientists say it’s caused by a big change in ocean temperatures, an effect of global warming.
That means we have more heat domes in our future. Global warming won’t subside with the flip of a switch. But there are steps we can take to protect ourselves against extreme heat when it’s in the forecast. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have published an informative guide on climate change and extreme heat.
According to NOAA, extreme heat causes more deaths than any other weather-related condition, including hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods.
It’s up to each of us to be prepared for the next heat event. Being informed is a good start.
You might get sick from the heat when your internal temperature rises faster than your body can cool itself down. There are conditions that contribute to becoming ill – if you’re dehydrated, have poor circulation, or you’re using alcohol, for example. High humidity is also a factor. If the relative humidity is high it not only feels hotter but your risk of developing a heat-related illness increases.
One of the body’s most efficient ways to regulate heat is by sweating. The older you get, the less you sweat because sweat glands shrink and become less sensitive with advanced age. The skin’s circulatory response is also diminished in older adults.
The body’s ability to regulate temperature begins to decrease around age 65. As the outdoor temperature rises, so does your body’s internal temperature. The older you are, the longer it takes for your system to return to your normal body temperature after you’re exposed to extreme heat.
You’re more apt to have a chronic medical condition such as heart or kidney disease when you’re older, which can affect the body’s response to heat. Certain prescription medications can increase heat sensitivity, including some antihistamines and antidepressants.
What’s extreme heat? It’s when temperatures soar much higher than usual for your part of the country. Humidity and cloud cover also factor into the definition. For Bellevue, Washington, the average daytime June temperature is about 74°F. No wonder we suffered when the thermometer hit 100°F. That’s extreme for Western Washington.
Heat-related illness can happen to anyone, but infants and young children, outdoor workers, people who are homeless, and older adults are especially vulnerable.
Heat-Related Illnesses |
|
Dehydration |
Description: loss of water from the body. Symptoms: headache, weakness, dizziness, confusion, muscle cramps. How to treat: drink water or a solution with electrolytes (sports drink). |
Heat exhaustion |
Description: a warning that the body is getting overheated. Symptoms: profuse sweating, cold and clammy skin, muscle cramps, weakness, headache, dizziness, nausea, or fainting. How to treat: move to a cool place, loosen clothing, apply wet cloths to skin, and sip small amounts of water. Get immediate medical help if symptoms worsen, person has high blood pressure, or person is vomiting. |
Heat stroke |
Description: a dangerous, rapid rise in body temperature requiring emergency treatment. Symptoms: body temperature of 104°F or more, hot and dry skin, rapid pulse, headache, nausea, confusion, or fainting. How to treat: Call 911 right away. Move to a cool place and apply wet cloths or cool mist to skin. Do not give anything to drink. |
The CDC has a simple theme for staying safe in the summer heat – stay cool, stay hydrated, stay informed.
Our Pacific Northwest will experience another heatwave at some point in the future. Here are things you can do to be prepared now and later.
Monitor your vital signs when the outdoor temperature rises:
Slow down. Ultra-hot days are not the time for strenuous activity, which makes your heart pump harder as your body tries to shed heat.
Drink lots of fluids. Stay well-hydrated to help reduce fatigue. Include plenty of water and sports drinks like Gatorade. Avoid fluids that lead to dehydration, such as alcohol, soda, and caffeinated beverages.
Avoid heavy foods that are more difficult to digest. Your body’s digestion process requires energy, which causes you to generate more heat. Stay away from high-protein, high-fiber, fatty, and sugary foods. Eat lighter foods with high water content, such as:
Turn off energy-using appliances and change your lights. Don’t use the oven. Unplug your computer when it’s not in use. When the temperature rises it’s a good time to swap your incandescent light bulbs for LED bulbs, which produce up to 70% less heat.
Use some old-fashioned do-it-yourself methods to cool off.
Stay indoors. If you don’t have air conditioning, move to the lowest floor of your building. Cooler air sinks.
While you’re thinking about ways to stay cool and protect yourself in a heat wave, stay informed about air quality issues. We generally have an excellent air quality rating in Western Washington, but we’re surrounded by areas where wildfire activity has worsened in the past several years. In early fall 2020, King County’s air quality plummeted for several days due to smoke from several wildfires in Oregon.
Here are some tips from the Area Agency on Aging for Seattle and King County:
Check on regular air quality reports. The Washington Department of Ecology has an interactive map showing hourly air quality measures.
Be informed about your personal health risk. If you recovered from COVID-19 or have a chronic condition like diabetes, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) check with your health care provider for advice on staying safe.
Don’t rely on your COVID cloth or surgical mask to filter smoky air. It’s best to stay indoors with your doors and windows closed and avoid outside air.
Set up a “clean room” in your house. The EPA has suggestions for making a clean room to spend time in during periods of poor air quality.
At SeaCare we know how to stay cool when things heat up. Contact us for information on support plans that work for you and your loved ones.
Katie Wright writes about aging and senior wellness from Bellingham, WA. You can read more about her here.
References:
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/heat-dome.html
https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/pages/2015-08-31-listicle-aging.aspx
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31652021/
https://community.fema.gov/ProtectiveActions/s/article/Extreme-Heat
https://www.agingkingcounty.org/2021/07/06/wildfire-season-is-coming-get-smoke-ready/