Table of contents:
- Why do elderly people get cold easily?
- Chills can also be a symptom of illness in old age
- How to deal with cold in the elderly
- Wear warm clothes
- Moving the body
- Hold onto something warm
- Massage the cold area
- Is there a way to prevent the elderly from getting cold easily?
Do you realize that at this age, your body is getting chills and chills more easily? Even though maybe the room temperature or the air outside is actually hot. It turns out that reported from the National Institute on Aging, this has something to do with the effects of body aging. The following is a complete explanation of the causes of the elderly to get cold easily, plus a solution at home.
Why do elderly people get cold easily?
Elderly often complain easily feel cold, especially in the feet and hands. This is caused by many factors, one of which is related to decreased blood circulation in the body.
As you get older, blood vessel walls will relax and thin out due to loss of natural elasticity. Blood flow that is not smooth will make us more prone to feel cold.
In addition, the cold sensation we feel more often in old age because the body loses quite a lot of fat reserves under the skin. These reserves of fat are what used to help keep the body warm.
Increasing age also slows down the metabolic response to cold. Your body may no longer be able to react as quickly as it used to to pick up blood vessels to keep your core temperature warm.
Chills can also be a symptom of illness in old age
Apart from the effects of natural aging, a cold sensation can often appear as a symptom of a disease.
According to Sharon A. Brangman, lecturer in medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, general chills indicate hypertension or diabetes. High cholesterol and thyroid disease can also reduce blood flow and interfere with body temperature regulation.
Meanwhile, the side effects of disease treatment can also be another factor why the elderly get cold easily. Medications such as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, for example, commonly produce a cold sensation inside the body.
Beta blockers are used to lower your heart rate. But at the same time, this drug also reduces blood circulation to the hands and feet.
Meanwhile, calcium channel blockers used to treat hypertension work by relaxing blood vessels. As a result, the body loses a lot of heat which makes it easier to feel cold.
How to deal with cold in the elderly
When the body, feet, and hands feel cold, warm them up immediately so that the elderly don't shiver and experience hypothermia.
Here are ways you can do for elderly people who are easily cold to warm them up:
Wear warm clothes
When the chill starts to strike, grab a hat, gloves, socks, and a jacket immediately. In essence, wear all clothes that help warm the body.
Wearing underwear heattech can also be a solution to help warm the elderly who are easily cold. Try not to wear tight clothes, as this can add to the chilliness of the body.
In addition, the elderly can also wear a scarf or high-collared shirt (turtle neck). This is done to keep the neck area warm.
Moving the body
When cold strikes, direct the elderly to keep moving their bodies. Moving your body helps improve circulation. That way, the temperature increases and the elderly will feel warmer than before.
If you are sitting or lying down, get out of your chair and take a short walk, moving your hands back and forth.
Hold onto something warm
When older people start to feel cold, an easy and quick solution to dealing with it is by holding something warm. Hold the surface of a bottle or glass cup filled with hot water to help transfer the heat to your hands.
Massage the cold area
Another easy way to deal with a cold that strikes is to massage the area that feels cold. Since the hands and feet feel cold most often, it's a good idea to massage these areas gently to warm them up again.
Is there a way to prevent the elderly from getting cold easily?
If the cause of the cold is medication or an illness, it will be quite difficult to prevent this from happening. Generally these side effects will disappear after the dose is finished, but you are not advised to stop treatment without the doctor's permission.
One thing that can be done is to invite parents at home to be active. Moving for at least 30 minutes every morning can improve blood circulation to keep body temperature warm. You can also invite your parents at home to do light exercise such as walking around the housing complex, cycling and aerobics.
Photo source: mmLearn.org
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