URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_66464.html (*this news item will not be available after 09/29/2008)
HealthDay Kevin McKeever Tuesday, July 1, 2008
TUESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- As the temperatures rise, older adults become more vulnerable to heat-related health issues because their bodies don't cool down as quickly as younger people.
"Sometimes, older people may not feel hot when the temperature is dangerously high and are also less likely to feel thirsty, which means their bodies have lost too much water," Dr. John B. Murphy, president of The American Geriatrics Society, said in a prepared statement.
Most of the 200 Americans who die of health problems caused by high heat and humidity are age 50 or older. To help seniors stay safe this summer, Murphy suggested:
Common heat-related health problems to watch for include:
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
Date last updated: 02 July 2008