Cold weather affecting the elderly

Cold weather can affect more than just road conditions.

Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department’s Medical Director, Dr. Vicki Whitacre, said the cold makes it more difficult for both older and younger people to regulate their body temperatures.

Whitacre said elderly people’s body temperatures are around 97 degrees. As that is a full degree lower than average they can feel the affects of the cold faster.

“If they get down to below 95, which is not very much, they can get into trouble with confusion,” said Dr. Whitacre. “They can’t use their hands well, they forget what they’re doing. They might go outside without a coat on, not turn up their temperature in their home that they may be keeping too cool so their bill’s not so high. They can just get into trouble a lot faster.”

While Whitacre said it’s important for older people to keep their homes warm and be cautious during the winter. She adds that people should check on their elderly neighbors and offer help to them.

“If you have an older neighbor make sure that the heat in their home is working and that it’s at least at 65. Sometimes older furnaces can’t even maintain the home if it has a lot of leaks above 60 because of wind and just the rooms are not sealed tightly.”

Dr. Whitacre warned against being in the cold for extended periods of time because there have been cases of hypothermia when people are out in the cold for just over an hour.

For more information and tips on how to stay healthy and warm during the frigid months ahead you can visit the health department’s website at zmchd.org.