A wave of extreme heat has posed particular perils for older folk, who are uniquely susceptible to such conditions. Read more at straitstimes.com.
HOUSTON – When the torrential rain stopped on Friday afternoon, Laura Lowry could see the steam rising off the wet pavement. She was on her front porch in the Fifth Ward neighbourhood of Houston, desperate for relief from the relentless humidity and 32.7 deg C heat. The air-conditioner in her house worked, but she and her husband, reliant on disability cheques, could not afford to run it.
It has created misery, and has also underscored a recognition that health risks stand to intensify as a changing climate brings higher temperatures that will likely endure for longer periods. The ageing process makes older bodies generally less capable of withstanding extreme heat, doctors say. But in some of the South’s hottest places, there was a sense on Friday that the heat was inescapable.
Older bodies tend to hold more heat than younger ones, and as people age, they produce less sweat, making it tougher to regulate body temperature and dissipate heat. “It can be harder for even healthy older adults to tell if they’re dehydrated or overheated,” Assistant Professor Christian said. If a situation is progressing to a heat stroke, a person’s body temperature will spike, reaching 39.4 deg C or higher. “The patient is going to stop sweating entirely,” Prof Diaz said, and could lose consciousness.
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