The US Center For Disease Control (CDC) estimates that every year around 300 people in the US die from heat related ailments. In addition thousands of American citizens suffer from dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Hot Texas summers put a lot of stress on air conditioning systems and many seniors put off servicing their ac systems due to cost and inconvenience. Senior citizens are more susceptible to the effects of heat as their bodies return to normal slowly and their bodies cooling mechanism is not as efficient as younger people. Hence seniors should be well aware of the health problems related to summer heat and keep their AC systems in good working order to prevent these health problems.
The faster you move the faster your body gets heated up. Hence seniors should take it slow in the summer, especially when it is hot. All outdoor activities should be planned for early mornings when it is cooler. As mush as possible, use the shaded areas under trees or covered porches. If possible air conditioning should be used when it is very hot and fans are not enough. If air conditioning is not available at home consider visiting public places like shopping malls, libraries, etc., that have air conditioning. Seniors also need assistance when it’s time to get an energy efficient roof should call Fichtner.
In places where there are no fans or air conditioning it may be dangerous if temperature rises above 90 °F. Some seniors prefer to keep windows closed for security reasons even when cool breeze is blowing. To ensure that your air conditioner works throughout the heat of our Texas summers, we suggest using Proline’s $59 AC Checkup. This simple and inexpensive AC service check will help you avoid any dangerous and unnecessary AC outages. Houston senior portrait photographer
Dehydration from the body accelerates during the summer months and some medications that have loss of fluid and electrolyte from the body, as side effects, can prove dangerous. It has been found that some diuretics, antibiotics and other medications can slow down the body’s natural capacity to control body temperature. Seniors as well as others should always check with their doctors and pharmacists to find out if the medications prescribed have any such side effects. Those seniors who are on low carbohydrate diets should be careful and take a lot of fluids, as the extra protein in their diets can cause the body to get heated up quickly. As such everyone should also take extra fluids during summer months to compensate for dehydration.
Help our beloved seniors this summer by making sure they are comfortable and well hydrated. If you would like to make sure that your loved ones do not suffer a dangerous AC outage, call Proline AC and Heating at 832-326-2242, and they’ll perform a complete system check.