5

6

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or

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s,

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h will

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s can

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What can you do?✦ Try to stay away from cold

places. Changes in your bodythat come with aging can makeit harder to feel when you aregetting cold. It may be harderfor your body to warm itself.Pay attention to how cold itis where you are.

✦ Make sure you eat enough food

to keep up your weight. If youdon’t eat well, you might haveless fat under your skin. Fatkeeps heat in your body.

✦ See your doctor to keep any

illnesses under control. Someillnesses may make it harderfor your body to stay warm.Be careful of:

– Problems with your body’s

hormone system such aslow thyroid hormone(hypothyroidism)

– Any health problem that

keeps blood from flowingnormally such as diabetes

– Some skin problems such

as psoriasis that allow yourbody to lose more heatthan normal.

p

y 

to do. For example:

– Severe arthritis, Parkinson’s

disease, or other illnessesthat make it harder tomove around

– Stroke or other illnesses

that can leave you paralyzed and make clearthinking more difficult

– Memory disorders

or dementia

– A fall or other injury

✦ Ask your doctor how the medicines you take affect body heat.

Some medicines often usedby older people can increasethe risk of accidental hypothermia. These include drugsused to treat anxiety, depression,or nausea. Some over-the-countercold remedies can also causeproblems.

✦ Do not drink alcohol before

bedtime when it gets colderoutside—and maybe inside,too. Alcoholic drinks can alsomake you lose body heat faster.Use alcohol moderately,if at all.
5

6

.

ermom

een by

ctor

rmia

d hos

re, the

n’s

xample,

arm

ing

gets

g he

old

h.

or

son

 her

e.

s,

andy.

h will

e.

 the

s can

he

 be

n than

er.

p

yp

What can you do?✦ Try to stay away from cold

places. Changes in your bodythat come with aging can makeit harder to feel when you aregetting cold. It may be harderfor your body to warm itself.Pay attention to how cold itis where you are.

✦ Make sure you eat enough food

to keep up your weight. If youdon’t eat well, you might haveless fat under your skin. Fatkeeps heat in your body.

✦ See your doctor to keep any

illnesses under control. Someillnesses may make it harderfor your body to stay warm.Be careful of:

– Problems with your body’s

hormone system such aslow thyroid hormone(hypothyroidism)

– Any health problem that

keeps blood from flowingnormally such as diabetes

– Some skin problems such

as psoriasis that allow yourbody to lose more heatthan normal.

problems may make that hardto do. For example:

– Severe arthritis, Parkinson’s

disease, or other illnessesthat make it harder tomove around

– Stroke or other illnesses

that can leave you paralyzed and make clearthinking more difficult

– Memory disorders

or dementia

– A fall or other injury

✦ Ask your doctor how the medicines you take affect body heat.

Some medicines often usedby older people can increasethe risk of accidental hypothermia. These include drugsused to treat anxiety, depression,or nausea. Some over-the-countercold remedies can also causeproblems.

✦ Do not drink alcohol before

bedtime when it gets colderoutside—and maybe inside,too. Alcoholic drinks can alsomake you lose body heat faster.Use alcohol moderately,if at all.
5

6

.

ermom

een by

ctor

rmia

d hos

re, the

n’s

xample,

arm

ing

gets

g he

old

h.

or

son

 her

e.

s,

andy.

h will

e.

 the

s can

he

 be

n than

er.

p

yp

What can you do?✦ Try to stay away from cold

places. Changes in your bodythat come with aging can makeit harder to feel when you aregetting cold. It may be harderfor your body to warm itself.Pay attention to how cold itis where you are.

✦ Make sure you eat enough food

to keep up your weight. If youdon’t eat well, you might haveless fat under your skin. Fatkeeps heat in your body.

✦ See your doctor to keep any

illnesses under control. Someillnesses may make it harderfor your body to stay warm.Be careful of:

– Problems with your body’s

hormone system such aslow thyroid hormone(hypothyroidism)

– Any health problem that

keeps blood from flowingnormally such as diabetes

– Some skin problems such

as psoriasis that allow yourbody to lose more heatthan normal.

problems may make that hardto do. For example:

– Severe arthritis, Parkinson’s

disease, or other illnessesthat make it harder tomove around

– Stroke or other illnesses

that can leave you paralyzed and make clearthinking more difficult

– Memory disorders

or dementia

– A fall or other injury

✦ Ask your doctor how the medicines you take affect body heat.

Some medicines often usedby older people can increasethe risk of accidental hypothermia. These include drugsused to treat anxiety, depression,or nausea. Some over-the-countercold remedies can also causeproblems.

✦ Do not drink alcohol before

bedtime when it gets colderoutside—and maybe inside,too. Alcoholic drinks can alsomake you lose body heat faster.Use alcohol moderately,if at all.
11 12

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For More InformationConsumer Product Safety CommissionWashington, DC 20207-00011-800-638-27721-800-638-8270 (TTY)www.cpsc.govTo find your local area agency onaging look in the telephone bookor contact:National Association of AreaAgencies on Aging1112 Sixteenth Street, NWSuite 100Washington, DC 20036202-296-8130www.n4a.orgEldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116Low-Income Home EnergyAssistance Program (LIHEAP)National Energy AssistanceReferral Hotline (NEAR)1-866-674-6327 (toll-free)www.ncat.org

P.O. Box 8057Gaithersburg, MD 20898-80571-800-222-2225 (toll-free)1-800-222-4225 (TTY toll-free)To order publications (in English orSpanish) or sign up for regular emailalerts, visit: www.niapublications.org.

The National Institute on Agingwebsite is www.nia.nih.gov.Visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the National

Institute on Aging and the NationalLibrary of Medicine. This simple-touse website features popular healthtopics for older adults. It has largetype and a ‘talking’ function thatreads the text out loud.

U.S. Department of Health andHuman ServicesNational Institutes of HealthAugust 2001Reprinted July 2005
11 12

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osed.

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ormation

our

f the

y

u

g

u

laws that may apply where you live.

For More InformationConsumer Product Safety CommissionWashington, DC 20207-00011-800-638-27721-800-638-8270 (TTY)www.cpsc.govTo find your local area agency onaging look in the telephone bookor contact:National Association of AreaAgencies on Aging1112 Sixteenth Street, NWSuite 100Washington, DC 20036202-296-8130www.n4a.orgEldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116Low-Income Home EnergyAssistance Program (LIHEAP)National Energy AssistanceReferral Hotline (NEAR)1-866-674-6327 (toll-free)www.ncat.org

National Institute on AgingInformation CenterP.O. Box 8057Gaithersburg, MD 20898-80571-800-222-2225 (toll-free)1-800-222-4225 (TTY toll-free)To order publications (in English orSpanish) or sign up for regular emailalerts, visit: www.niapublications.org.

The National Institute on Agingwebsite is www.nia.nih.gov.Visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the National

Institute on Aging and the NationalLibrary of Medicine. This simple-touse website features popular healthtopics for older adults. It has largetype and a ‘talking’ function thatreads the text out loud.

U.S. Department of Health andHuman ServicesNational Institutes of HealthAugust 2001Reprinted July 2005
11 12

 to any

Keep

osed.

come,

ying

local

 electric

l pro

urce

Home

LIHEAP).

e people

d help

oling

 on

munity

ormation

our

f the

laws that may apply where you live.

For More InformationConsumer Product Safety CommissionWashington, DC 20207-00011-800-638-27721-800-638-8270 (TTY)www.cpsc.govTo find your local area agency onaging look in the telephone bookor contact:National Association of AreaAgencies on Aging1112 Sixteenth Street, NWSuite 100Washington, DC 20036202-296-8130www.n4a.orgEldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116Low-Income Home EnergyAssistance Program (LIHEAP)National Energy AssistanceReferral Hotline (NEAR)1-866-674-6327 (toll-free)www.ncat.org

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Information CenterP.O. Box 8057Gaithersburg, MD 20898-80571-800-222-2225 (toll-free)1-800-222-4225 (TTY toll-free)To order publications (in English orSpanish) or sign up for regular emailalerts, visit: www.niapublications.org.

The National Institute on Agingwebsite is www.nia.nih.gov.Visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the National

Institute on Aging and the NationalLibrary of Medicine. This simple-touse website features popular healthtopics for older adults. It has largetype and a ‘talking’ function thatreads the text out loud.

U.S. Department of Health andHuman ServicesNational Institutes of HealthAugust 2001Reprinted July 2005