Sure is hot. In this year of weather extremes, we have gone from extremely cold, to extremely snowy, to extremely hot.
It is hotter even than usual in steamy Baltimore, the Home of Hazy, Hot and Humid. We are in the middle of the hottest summer since 1988, and we might even surpass that hellish season.
Heat wave can be dangerous for seniors
The thing is, for some seniors—not all, but some—life is hazardous under Baltimore’s broiler—but seniors can stay happy and healthy in the heat if they stay heedful and hydrated.
Heedful: Be aware of heat’s dangers
Seniors generally react differently to the heat than younger people, says Dr. Alicia Arbaje, associate professor in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Their brains don’t sense the heat as readily, and their bodies can’t act as quickly as younger people’s to relieve the effects of heat on the body. And seniors don’t feel thirsty as soon as younger people. It’s not clear why, she says.
That means that by the time a senior feels hot, he or she may already be dehydrated, and dehydrated is well on the way to heat exhaustion—a dangerous condition for anyone, let alone those past their threescore and ten.
Chronic diseases a factor
In addition, many seniors suffer from chronic diseases—heart disease, respiratory disease—that make it far more difficult for people to cope with high heat. “Seniors often suffer from more than one medical condition, making it harder to handle any additional problem,” she says. “They don’t have the physiological reserves that younger people do.”
Once seniors feel the heat, it’s harder to recover. Stiffened arteries move blood slowly, making it harder for older bodies to rebound. The best thing to do is to try to prevent the ill effects altogether.
Arbaje’s advice: Take it easy and stay cool.
How to get cool
Fortunately for all of us, the city has five cooling centers open to anyone. They are air-conditioned and offer cool water and ice for free. In South Baltimore, there’s the Southern Community Action Center, 606 Cherry Hill Rd.; in Southeast, it’s the Southeast CAC at 3411 Bank St.
Public libraries are air-conditioned. In South Baltimore, visit the Light Street Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Light and Ostend streets; the Cherry Hill Branch, 606 Cherry Hill Rd.; or the Brooklyn Branch, 300 E. Patapsco Ave. In Southeast Baltimore, visit the Canton Branch, Ellwood Ave. and O’Donnell St.; Patterson Park Branch, 158 N. Linwood Ave.; or the Southeast Anchor Library, Eastern Ave. and Conkling St.
Rec centers and senior centers are air conditioned. Head to a senior center and indulge in a movie, play cards, enjoy a little light exercise or chat in the cool. (For a list of senior center activities and locations in Canton, Highlandtown and South Baltimore, see page 16.)
Medications a factor
The drugs taken to treat chronic illnesses like heart disease and respiratory disease can compound the effects of heat. For instance, water pills–diuretics taken to treat symptoms of congestive heart failure, high blood pressure and swelling in the legs, can dehydrate a person during hot weather.
The medications used to treat high blood pressure can also cause complications during hot weather. Since the medications lower the blood pressure, they can make the dehydrating effects of the heat worse.
Anticholinergics—a class of medicines used to treat allergies, or depression and anxiety, don’t cause dehydration, but “if you are already on your way they will make it worse,” says Dr. Arbaje.
You do not have to be outdoors to suffer badly from the heat. Rowhouses are generally badly ventilated, and some people have no air conditioning at all. “People think that fans are good enough, but all they do is move the hot air around,” said Dr. Arbaje. “When it’s this hot for this long, people should try to relax in an air-conditioned building. Public libraries are a great idea. They are cool, and people can relax, read and socialize.”
Overheated? Have a drink
Seniors might not realize they’re heading into heat exhaustion. That’s what friends and family are for. “Seniors’ symptoms can be different. That’s what makes treating them so challenging and interesting,” says Arbaje. It can be as subtle as slight confusion, a little headache, a bit more sweating than usual.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Both are diuretics, meaning they drain fluids from the body, and alcohol will make you less heedful of symptoms of heat stress.
To stay cool and hydrated, drink water. But if you, or a friend, are already showing signs of heat stress, have a sports drink to replace essential electrolytes like sodium and potassium that are lost in sweat.
Gatorade is the oldest and best known brand. However, seniors, especially those challenged with cardiac conditions or diabetes, don’t need the jolt of sodium and glucose that sports drinks contain, and Dr. Arbaje suggests diluting the drink half-and-half with water.
Or you can make your own. For a quart, take a half-teaspoon of salt, a third of a cup of sugar, and a pint of juice—orange, lemon or whatever you please. Top it up with water.
Remember, heedful and hydrated beats hazy, hot and humid anytime.
BY JACQUELINE WATTS editor@baltimoreguide.com
