What to Do for Elderly Who Is Cold All the Time?
If you are like most people, you lot feel cold every now so during the winter. What you may not know is that just being actually cold tin can make you very sick.
Older adults can lose body heat fast—faster than when they were young. Changes in your body that come with aging tin can make information technology harder for yous to be aware of getting cold. A large chill can turn into a dangerous problem before an older person even knows what's happening. Doctors phone call this serious problem hypothermia.
What Is Hypothermia?
Hypothermia is what happens when your body temperature gets very low. For an older person, a trunk temperature of 95°F or lower can crusade many health problems, such every bit a heart attack, kidney problems, liver harm, or worse.
Existence outside in the cold, or fifty-fifty being in a very cold house, can pb to hypothermia. Try to stay away from cold places, and pay attention to how common cold information technology is where you are. You can have steps to lower your gamble of getting hypothermia.
Go along Warm Inside
Living in a common cold house, flat, or other building tin crusade hypothermia. In fact, hypothermia can happen to someone in a nursing home or grouping facility if the rooms are not kept warm plenty. If someone you know is in a group facility, pay attention to the inside temperature and to whether that person is dressed warmly enough.
People who are ill may accept special bug keeping warm. Do non allow it get as well cold inside and dress warmly. Even if y'all keep your temperature betwixt threescore°F and 65°F, your abode or apartment may non be warm enough to keep you safe. This is a special problem if you live alone because at that place is no one else to feel the chilliness of the business firm or discover if y'all are having symptoms of hypothermia.
Here are some tips for keeping warm while y'all're inside:
- Set your estrus to at to the lowest degree 68–70°F. To salve on heating bills, close off rooms yous are not using. Close the vents and shut the doors in these rooms, and keep the basement door airtight. Place a rolled towel in front end of all doors to go on out drafts.
- Make sure your firm isn't losing oestrus through windows. Keep your blinds and defunction closed. If you take gaps around the windows, effort using conditions stripping or caulk to keep the cold air out.
- Dress warmly on common cold days even if yous are staying in the house. Throw a blanket over your legs. Habiliment socks and slippers.
- When you become to sleep, wear long underwear under your pajamas, and utilise extra covers. Vesture a cap or hat.
- Make certain y'all eat enough food to go along up your weight. If you lot don't consume well, yous might have less fat nether your skin. Torso fat helps you to stay warm.
- Drink alcohol moderately, if at all. Alcoholic drinks tin can brand you lose body heat.
- Ask family unit or friends to check on you during common cold weather condition. If a power outage leaves you without heat, try to stay with a relative or friend.
You may exist tempted to warm your room with a space heater. But, some space heaters are fire hazards, and others tin cause carbon monoxide poisoning. The Consumer Product Safety Committee has data on the apply of space heaters. Read the following for more than information: Reducing Fire Hazards for Portable Electrical Heaters and Seven Highly Effective Portable Heater Prophylactic Habits.
Parcel Up on Windy, Cold Days
A heavy wind tin can quickly lower your body temperature. Check the weather forecast for windy and cold days. On those days, attempt to stay inside or in a warm place. If you lot have to get out, vesture warm clothes, and don't stay out in the cold and current of air for a long fourth dimension.
Here are some other tips:
- Wearing apparel for the conditions if you lot have to become out on chilly, cold, or damp days.
- Wear loose layers of clothing. The air between the layers helps to keep you warm.
- Put on a hat and scarf. You lose a lot of torso heat when your caput and neck are uncovered.
- Wear a waterproof coat or jacket if it'due south snowy.
- Change your clothes right abroad if they become damp or wet.
Affliction, Medicines, and Cold Atmospheric condition
Some illnesses may brand it harder for your body to stay warm.
- Thyroid problems can make it difficult to maintain a normal body temperature.
- Diabetes tin keep blood from flowing normally to provide warmth.
- Parkinson's affliction and arthritis can make information technology hard to put on more apparel, apply a blanket, or exit of the cold.
- Memory loss tin crusade a person to go exterior without the right clothing.
Talk with your physician about your health problems and how to prevent hypothermia.
Taking some medicines and not being active also can touch body rut. These include medicines you get from your doctor and those y'all purchase over-the-counter, such equally some cold medicines. Ask your doctor if the medicines you take may touch trunk rut. Always talk with your doctor before yous stop taking any medication.
Here are some topics to talk about with your doctor to stay safe in common cold weather:
- Inquire your doctor about signs of hypothermia.
- Talk to your md virtually any health problems and medicines that tin brand hypothermia a special problem for you. Your doctor can assistance you find ways to prevent hypothermia.
- Ask about safe ways to stay active fifty-fifty when it's cold outside.
What Are the Warning Signs of Hypothermia?
Sometimes it is difficult to tell if a person has hypothermia. Look for clues. Is the house very cold? Is the person not dressed for cold weather? Is the person speaking slower than normal and having trouble keeping his or her balance?
Lookout man for the signs of hypothermia in yourself, too. You might go confused if your body temperature gets very depression. Talk to your family and friends about the alarm signs so they tin look out for you.
Early signs of hypothermia:
- Common cold feet and hands
- Puffy or swollen face
- Pale pare
- Shivering (in some cases the person with hypothermia does not shiver)
- Slower than normal speech or slurring words
- Acting sleepy
- Being aroused or confused
After signs of hypothermia:
- Moving slowly, trouble walking, or being impuissant
- Stiff and jerky arm or leg movements
- Tedious heartbeat
- Slow, shallow breathing
- Blacking out or losing consciousness
Phone call 9-1-one right abroad if you think someone has alarm signs of hypothermia.
What to practise after you telephone call 9-1-1:
- Try to motility the person to a warmer place.
- Wrap the person in a warm coating, towels, or coats—whatever is handy. Even your own torso warmth will assist. Lie close, only exist gentle.
- Give the person something warm to potable, only avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine, such as regular coffee.
- Practice not rub the person'southward legs or arms.
- Practice non endeavour to warm the person in a bath.
- Do not apply a heating pad.
Is In that location Help for My Heating Bills?
If you lot are having a hard fourth dimension paying your heating bills, there are some resource that might help. Contact the National Energy Assist Referral service at 1-866-674-6327 (TTYane-866-367-6228) or email the National Energy Help Referral (Most) project to become information about the Low Income Dwelling Energy Assistance Program.
If your home doesn't have enough insulation, contact your country or local energy agency or the local ability or gas company. They may be able to give you lot information about weatherizing your home. This tin can help keep heating bills down. These agencies and companies may also take special programs for people who have a limited income and qualify for aid paying the heating bill. Your local Area Agency on Aging, senior center, or social service agency may have information on these programs.
For More than Information Nigh Cold Atmospheric condition Safety
Consumer Product Condom Commission
800-638-2772
301-595-7054 (TTY)
world wide web.cpsc.gov
This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Crumbling (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is authentic and up to date.
Content reviewed: January 01, 2018
Source: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/cold-weather-safety-older-adults