As I get older, I find that I actually enjoy sitting in the sun more. It feels good on my bones and relaxes my muscles. But it also is drying out my body and my older body is not as good at rehydrating itself. My glands don’t secrete as much sweat and my heart doesn’t pump as well as it once did which slows down the flow of blood and makes my body hold on to more heat than I did when I was 20 years younger. The reality is that almost 10,000 seniors die every year from heat related causes. For more on these factors see The Effects of Heat on Older Adults | Harvard Medicine magazine.

We are currently in the fourth or fifth heat wave of this summer and hopefully the last. The temperatures outside are climbing into the nineties which means we are staying indoors where we have air conditioning. What I learned recently was that it doesn’t have to be this hot to be considered dangerous, many people actually recommend taking care when temps reach 80 degrees. I found some great tips regarding how to deal with the heat at Tip Sheet: Hot Weather Safety Tips for Older Adults | HealthInAging.org.

 Things are even more difficult for my husband thanks to his diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Sitting in the sun is not an option as higher temperatures exacerbate his Parkinson’s symptoms. The disease slows down all his physical processes and restricts his ability to cool himself. Heat intolerance is not uncommon as more than 60% of People with PD have something called thermodysregulation, a malfunction within their autonomic nervous system. Add the fact that his medications make him more susceptible to sunburn and it is no wonder he prefers to spend his summer days inside.

Check Friday’s blog for more on this condition called Thermodysregulation.