Beat the Heat: Senior Citizens

Though many people believe kids and athletes are most susceptible too getting heat exhaustion and heat stroke, director of St. John's Riverside Hospital's emergency room Mark Silberman says that is not the case.

"Senior citizens are most at risk because they no longer have the sense to feel they are getting overheated," Silberman said. "They can't self-regulate."

Silberman urged caretakers, neighbors and family of elderly individuals to monitor their amounts of sun exposure and fluid intakes.

Another confounding variable, he said, was medications that also raise temperature and cause patients to overheat more quickly. 

"Drugs such as anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, diuretics and cholesterol-lowering drugs tend to make patients more likely to experience symptoms of heat stroke," Silberman said.

He suggested patients taking medications in any of these categories should be extra-cautious on hot days. 

Although Silberman's emergency room has not yet seen a case of full-blown heat stroke this summer, he has treated some patients for milder forms of heat exhaustion. 

"If a persons core body temperature rises above 105 degrees, we characterize it as heat stroke," he said. "They should seek immediate assistance, as heat stroke can be fatal."