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Are you a senior who is cold all the time? Maybe you spend time bundled up in your home even when the heater is cranked up. Perhaps you wear layers of all sorts, even in summer, and the cold still sneaks in. Or maybe you are okay as long as you’re in a warm spot, but the moment you throw off the blanket or slip off your socks, you’re cold again.
You might also experience selective chilliness. For instance, maybe most of your body feels warm and toasty, but your fingers are so cold they hurt. The same might happen with your feet. Or even with your nose!
But why are so many seniors and elderly adults so cold all the time?
Why You’re Always Freezing
There are many reasons why seniors might always feel cold, and interestingly enough, most of them have nothing to do with core body temperature. Seniors face a variety of factors as they age that can lead to feeling far too cold for the actual environment. For example, someone might need to wear a jacket in the summertime, even while others are wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts.
But wintertime is when the cold really becomes a problem. If you’re already feeling cold, the onset of winter weather can make things much worse. Here’s why you might be freezing:
· As we get older, the fat layer under our skin grows thinner. That fat layer serves as insulation to keep you warmer. In terms of how that makes you feel, imagine replacing a thick winter coat with a loosely-knit cardigan. Temperatures you could handle just fine in your younger years now cut right through you and chill you to the bone.
· Seniors tend to have trouble regulating their body temperatures. The signals that tell your brain you are too cold and encourage your body’s thermostat to click up a notch might never make it to where they are supposed to go. That could mean you stay cold even as you do whatever you can to warm up.
· Your body temperature naturally drops as you get older. According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Nursing, most older adults have a lower body temperature than their younger counterparts. This continues to drop through life, as those who are in their 80s tend to have a lower average body temperature than those in their 60s or 70s.[1]
· Blood circulation changes with age. The blood vessels become stiff, which makes it tougher for blood to flow through them; and besides that, your blood volume might decrease over time. Though this problem affects the whole body, it is more evident in the hands and feet. That’s why some people feel relatively warm overall but their hands and feet are absolutely freezing despite being bundled up.
· As your appetite decreases naturally with age, you might find that you lose weight without really trying. And while that can be good for your overall health, if you were a little overweight to begin with, it can quickly lead to feeling cold all over. Losing a few pounds takes away that layer of insulation mentioned earlier.
· Elderly individuals tend to have a lower resting metabolic rate, which means they don’t burn energy as quickly as younger people do. That means they are more sensitive to the temperature around them, especially when it’s cold.
· Those who are sedentary tend to notice the cold more. As you move around, you are encouraging blood flow to the extremities and getting your metabolic rate up, which helps you burn more calories. Those things can make you feel much warmer. But as many older adults are sedentary – especially those who have mobility problems – their odds of feeling colder go up.
· Some medical conditions and medications common to the elderly can lead to feeling cold. For instance, those who have diabetes or hypertension might suffer from circulation problems. Other conditions, like Raynaud’s Syndrome, can cause significant coldness in your hands and feet that seems to be unrelated to the temperature of the day.
And if you happen to get sick, things might feel much worse.
Remember that the elderly body has trouble with regulating temperature. According to the Cleveland Clinic, chills occur when your body is trying to regulate its temperature and bring it back down (or up) to your usual baseline. Though your body is doing what it needs to do to keep you on an even keel, those chills have the effect of making you feel so cold that your teeth might chatter.[2]
Feeling cold sometimes is normal, but suddenly feeling cold for no apparent reason – including chills and a strong sensitivity to drops in temperature – could indicate an illness. That’s when it’s time to get medical attention and make sure there’s nothing going wrong. If these symptoms come on quickly, it’s a great idea to use a button alert to get the help you need.
What to Do if You’re Cold All the Time
In most cases, getting warm is simple, right? You feel cold and so you put on a layer or two until you feel warmer. Maybe you crank up the thermostat or put another log on the fire. But as you get older, those things might not help as much as they used to.
If you’re cold all the time, try these tips:
· Rule out any health problems. Look at any other symptoms you might have. Do you feel tired and dizzy in addition to being cold? You might be dealing with anemia. Is your hair rapidly thinning and you’re constantly feeling cold? You might have a thyroid issue. Tell your doctor that you simply can’t get warm enough and report all of the other symptoms so they will know what tests to run.
· Dress in layers. Even when you’re in your cozy home, dressing in layers can help you ward off the cold and feel better. Wear light layers that you can easily remove as the day goes on. Wicking fabric is especially helpful, as it readily pulls sweat away from the body to keep you from getting too cold. Try to choose at least one layer made of wool for excellent heat retention.
· Wear gloves. Your hands are filled with many blood vessels that are very close to the surface of the skin. When you get cold, those blood vessels constrict, causing blood flow to your hands to slow down. This makes your hands feel very cold. Wearing thick, comfortable knit gloves can help.
· Be proactive. Don’t wait until you get chilled and can’t get warm again. Take steps to stay warm at all times. Heat up your clothes in the dryer for a few minutes before you get dressed. You can do the same with your towels so they are toasty warm when you get out of the shower or bath. Keep thick socks on, and remember to dress in layers from the start of your day – don’t wait until you are feeling the chill.
· Adjust the thermostat. A home that is too cold will never be a good environment for getting warm. And in fact, there is a risk of hypothermia for seniors if the thermostat is below 65 degrees, even if they are bundled up inside the home. Make sure the temperature is comfortable for you and everyone else in the house. A good rule of thumb is to set the thermostat at no less than 68 degrees.
· Fill up with warmth. Now is the time to break out the hot cocoa or have that extra cup of decaf. Eat hot meals and warm snacks. Not only does the warmth feel good, the food itself can help as well, as it boosts your energy output while your body digests it. Anything that warms you from the inside out is great.
Given your particular medical conditions and living situation, your doctor might have other tips to getting warm, tailored just for you.
Be Aware of the Hypothermia Risk
Seniors are at a higher risk of hypothermia than the general population. While most cases of hypothermia among healthy adults occur in frigid conditions, elderly adults are much more susceptible to this life-threatening condition. In fact, seniors can suffer from hypothermia in temperatures that are in the 70s! As body temperature drops, many health problems become more likely, such as kidney issues, liver damage, or heart attacks.
Hypothermia is very serious for seniors. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, half of elderly people who develop hypothermia tend to die because they don’t get medical assistance quickly enough.[3] Though using a medical alarm can mitigate some of that fear, knowing the signs of impending hypothermia can help ensure you stay as healthy as possible. Here’s what to look for:
· Shivering
· Confusion
· Drowsiness
· Slow or slurred speech
· Shallow breathing
· Stiffness in the arms and legs
· Lack of coordination
· Weak pulse or a drop in blood pressure
· Changes in behavior
· Slow reaction time
These warning signs might be subtle at first. It’s vitally important to get warm and get to the doctor as soon as possible when you begin to feel these symptoms. Press the button on your emergency alert for elderly adults– if you don’t have one yet, now is the time to get one! The peace of mind you’ll get can warm your heart.
