The Progression of Heat Illness in the Elderly
Our Visiting Angels Garland TX team has helped hundreds of seniors navigate the heat during the hottest parts of our Texas summers as in-home caregivers. Senior citizens are the highest-risk group to experience symptoms of heat illness. Heat illness doesn’t just happen when you’re out and about– heat illness can strike due to a high temperature inside their home, resulting from wearing clothes that are too heavy, or a combination of both.
Seniors are more susceptible to heat-related illness because as our bodies age, they lose some of the ability to cool down using built-in mechanisms, sweating, and temperature regulation. Additionally, medical issues like high blood pressure or diabetes, having too much weight or not enough, or taking certain kinds of medicines like beta-blockers, can make the effects of heat more profound for older adults.
Our Visiting Angels Garland TX team is trained to learn how to spot heat-illness warning signs. Learn what to look for and how heat illness typically progresses to help protect your elderly loved ones during the Texas heat.
The First Sign - Heat Cramps
Our bodies were designed to sweat to help cool down our core temperature. Sweat is made of 99% water and 1% of everything else, including salt. Water and salt help muscles function properly, so when older adults lose even small amounts of water and salt, they may experience heat cramps. These painful spasms are most felt in an older person’s calves, toes, feet, or shoulders.
Heat cramps are the mildest form of heat-related illness in seniors. You can help elderly loved ones recover quickly by bringing them into a cool space, offering drinks with high electrolytes (like a sports drink), and helping them flex muscles that were affected by cramps. Most importantly, allow them to rest!
The Second Sign - Heat Exhaustion
If left untreated, heat cramps can lead to heat exhaustion, a more severe illness, and a precursor to heatstroke. Heat exhaustion happens when the body temperature reaches 99 degrees at the minimum and 103 at the maximum, in addition to other signs: headache, tiredness, muscle fatigue, irritability, confusion, or dizziness. Intense thirst may also accompany heat exhaustion.
Heat exhaustion often occurs when it’s hot and humid. A senior’s body works hard to cool down with sweat, but because the sweat doesn’t evaporate quickly with high humidity, their body temperature stays the same or rises. Activity, even strolling, can make heat exhaustion worse.
Like heat cramps, the first line of treatment is cooling your loved one down as fast as possible. Cool towels, a fan, cold water, and moving indoors into air conditioning should be the first move. Offer cold water, clear juice, or sports drinks to rehydrate them. Stay with your loved one while they recover to ensure they start to feel better right away.
The Third Sign - Heatstroke
Unlike the other two major types of heat-related illnesses, relatively mild and easy to treat, heatstroke is a health emergency that needs immediate medical attention. Signs of heatstroke include an increase in core temperature higher than 104 F, agitation, confusion, and loss of consciousness. Heat exhaustion can turn into heatstroke very quickly.
Without professional medical attention, heatstroke can lead to death, so it’s critical to call 911 immediately and then cool their body down as quickly as possible.
Peace of Mind for Summer Safety
Many cases of heat-related illness happen at home when temperatures get hotter. Hiring a compassionate professional from Visiting Angels Garland, TX to stop in regularly for companion care or personal care can give you peace of mind that your elderly loved ones are safe. Contact us today for a free in-home consultation. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!