Many of the signs and symptoms are easily confused with other age-related conditions
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Hypothermia, or the lowering of the body's core temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, is usually thought of as a condition of outdoor exposure in harsh, cold weather. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the thousands of hypothermia-related deaths over the past several years, approximately 50 percent involved adults age 65 and older, many of which developed hypothermia indoors.
Experts have identified several causes for the increased risk of hypothermia in older adults. Unfortunately, even when hypothermia is present, it may go unnoticed because many of the signs and symptoms are easily confused with other typical age-related conditions.
Consider this scenario: You are living with your elderly relative and the weather is cold and windy. Your home is heated, but the thermostat is turned down at night to 63 degrees or so. The house might even have some drafts, but you feel comfortable in just a sweatshirt and jeans.
As the days pass, you notice your elderly family member become more forgetful and maybe sleeping a bit more than usual. She also seems less mobile, maybe shuffling about or even losing her balance. Family members attribute the changes to "old age," Alzheimer's, or dementia.
Could she be suffering from hypothermia?
Yes. According to some experts, approximately 3.5 percent of all adults over 65 suffer from some degree of hypothermia. The cause may not always be obvious. Indoor temperatures that may seem stifling to you, may be just what your elderly loved one needs to maintain his or her internal (core) temperature at or near 98 degrees.
LIFE CHANGES
As we age, our bodies become less able to maintain that core temperature of 98.6. A number of life changes may occur that place older adults at increased risk for hypothermia.
For younger people, the brain readily detects changes in the core temperature and activates physical responses including constriction (narrowing) of blood vessels near the surface of the skin, and shivering in our large muscles. As our blood vessels constrict, warm blood is forced back into our core instead of circulating too close to the surface where it can lose precious heat. As our large muscle groups are signaled to shiver, heat is produced, further maintaining that inner temperature.
The blood vessels of older adults very often don't have the constricting properties of younger people. Studies have shown that blood continues to circulate near the skin's surface even in cold environments for many older adults. This causes some body heat to be lost into the environment.
source: silive
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