Heat and Risks for Elderly and Sick people: Important precautions

Heat-related Risks

Overheating and Health problems: Overheating can occur at higher temperatures, leading to symptoms such as irritability, thirst, exhaustion, dizziness and muscle spasms. In case of a lack of salts, muscle cramps, severe fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting may also occur.

Specific Risk Groups: Elderly people, people with heart disease, lung disease or taking certain medicines are at increased risk and they are more sensitive to heat and need to take additional precautions to prevent overheating.

Heat strokes: Extreme heat can lead to heat strokes, where the body temperature can rise to dangerous levels, sometimes up to 45 degrees Celsius. This can cause unconsciousness and occurs especially during long-term heat waves.

Practical tips for protection

Environmental adjustments:

• Keep the house cool by keeping sun blinds and curtains closed from sunrise to sunset.
• Preferably use outdoor sunshine for more effective heat control.
• Once the sun is gone, ventilate the house by opening windows and doors, but watch for insects and avoid additional heat sources such as lamps and computers.

Personal Measures:

• Use fans to vaporize sweat faster and keep the body cooler.
• Wear airy clothing from natural materials such as cotton or linen.
• Drink enough water, at least 2 litres a day, and increase intake when taking difficult urination or dark urine.
• Consider broth, soup, milk or ice to maintain the salt content.

Direct Cooling:

• For direct cooling when overheating: place ice cubes in a plastic bag on the abdomen until the person feels alert again.
• A lukewarm or cold foot bath can also help to lower body temperature.

Activities and Hydration:

• Avoid intensive physical activities that increase body heat.
• Always take care of a bottle of water when you are outside to avoid dehydration.

By taking these measures, the elderly and the sick can better protect themselves from the dangers of heat and enjoy a safe summer. Note the signals of overheating and take timely action to prevent health problems.