Health risk: drinking royin, salt biscuits, water spray: heat tips for the elderly

30 degrees and more: Hot summer days are a burden on the body – for some more than for others. Older and people in need of care are particularly at risk, it says in the “Heatknigge” of the Federal Environment Agency.

Age brings changes in the metabolism, which means that the body can handle heat worse. According to Prof. Bernd Böttiger, federal doctor of the German Red Cross (DRK), this:

« At high temperatures, overheating or drying out the body can then occur more easily, » warns Böttiger. On hot days, you should not only take good care of yourself, but also to others – especially on people living alone.

These are helpful strategies to deal well with summer heat:

1. Drink a lot – and check the urine color

Doesn’t your body reliably remind you of drinking enough? Then alarm clocks or apps can step in. It is best to build up a drinking rod: a few sips every quarter of an hour or a whole glass every two hours, as Bernd Böttiger suggests.

On hot days, older people should have a drink of two to three liters. Other people can apply to people with heart or kidney disease: it is best to discuss with a doctor how much you should drink.

Water tastes too boring? « A good alternative are juice spritzer and unsweetened fruit or herbal teas, » says Böttiger. The drinks are allowed to be cool, but it is better not to ice cold – then there is a risk of stomach problems.

Incidentally, a look at the toilet is a good check whether the body is sufficiently supplied with liquid. If the urine is light yellow, this is a good sign, according to the German Society for Vascular Surgery and Vascular Medicine (DGG). If, on the other hand, it looks dark or if it is very little overall, the opposite applies: then you should definitely drink more.

2. Eat light – and salty snacks

Even a slight, well -digested diet helps older people get better through hot days. It is best to install water -kingdom fruit and vegetables such as melon, cucumber, strawberries or peach – they also pay the liquid account.

Salz pastries are well suited as a snack. « This not only stimulates the feeling of thirst, but also supports the salt household, » says Bernd Böttiger. A welcome effect because important minerals are lost to the body by sweating.

3. Cool down the body

Great desire for cooling? Even small measures bring some refreshment. Doctor Böttiger suggests this:

And of course the home should be kept as cool as possible. Ventes are particularly popular when the temperatures outside are cooler than inside, about the early morning.

4. The following applies to clothing and bed linen: Better airy

Anyone who has made a clever decision on the wardrobe in the morning will get better through hot days: it is best to wear bright colors, as the “Hitzknigge” of the Federal Environment Agency advises. They reflect sunlight and thus heat up less. Long cuts and light materials ensure that the air can circulate – and the heat does not build up uncomfortably on the body.

Keyword heating build -up: It can threaten people in need of care on hot days if they wear incontinence pants that are coated with a film. The better choice is then retired retinal pants, said DRK federal doctor Böttiger. For bedridden people, it is important that the bed linen is air -permeable. Materials such as cotton or linen are well suited here.

5. Know warning signs and act properly

How can you see yourself or as an outsider that the heat has added to the body? « Sudden symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, faster pulse, headache, restlessness and confusion can indicate that the body is overheated and there is a lack of fluid, » says Bernd Böttiger.

Then you should bring the person to a cool place and supply them with drinks. If the person loses consciousness or if you are unsure, the following applies: alert the emergency services on 112.