Summers are getting hotter and deadlier, especially for older Americans
Why are older people in greater danger? Physiological changes play a role. With age, your body becomes less able to effectively cool itself. Isolation , lack of mobility and limited income also contribute to the potential peril. In short: The older you are, the more seriously you need to take a heat wave.
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The physiology is well understood. When temperatures skyrocket, the human body relies on an arsenal of responses to protect itself. Blood rushes to the skin to radiate the heat outward, and sweat evaporating off the skin helps cool the body. We crave water to replenish the fluid we’re losing. We yearn to slow down and find shade. And the hotter we get, the harder the cardiovascular system works to cool us down. The heart rate increases, and blood vessels open wider.
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When an older person overheats, their blood pressure drops and core temperature rises. If they don’t find a way to cool down, what starts as heat exhaustion — with symptoms such as dizziness and nausea — can progress to heatstroke, an urgent condition that can cause irreversible organ damage or death.
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To stay safe from the heat, it’s important to acknowledge its danger. “To an older adult who’s like, ‘Oh, I’m going to go for a walk at noon today because I could do it 20 years ago,’ well, they have to recognize that both their body is changing and the climate is changing,” says Deborah Carr, a Boston University professor who studies heat and aging. “Temperatures are hotter, and you are older and less heat-tolerant.”
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