For Immediate Release:
January 14, 2007

Contact:                                                                                
Nanci Gonder or Mary Kay Hager
Public Information
800-392-0272

Department of Health and Senior Services warns Missourians to take precautions to prevent cold-related illnesses

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) today warned Missourians to take extra precautions during the winter storm and urged individuals to look in on elderly neighbors, friends and relatives. This is especially important now since many homes are without electricity and with the forecast of even colder temperatures this week.

The elderly who are homebound or bedfast are vulnerable to hypothermia due to having less fatty tissue insulation, an impaired shivering mechanism, a lower metabolic rate, chronic illnesses requiring medications, and less perception of the cold. The elderly can develop hypothermia at temperatures greater than 60°F. Impaired mental state and impaired mobility can also put some elderly persons at increased risk. Falls in cold environments and wandering outside of residences and care facilities account for numerous cold-related deaths in the elderly.

Missourians are reminded that the state’s toll-free, 24-hour adult abuse hotline can be used to report any elderly persons who may be suffering from cold and need assistance. The number is 1-800-392-0210.

The very young are also highly vulnerable to hypothermia. Adults should protect infants and young children from the cold when taking them outdoors by using multiple layers of clothing and blankets, while making sure the extra clothing does not restrict the child’s breathing or movement. Infants less than 1-year-old should never sleep in a cold room because infants lose body heat more easily than adults; and unlike adults, infants are not able to make additional body heat by shivering.

Early, mild symptoms of hypothermia include shivering, slurred speech, mental slowness, muscular stiffness and clumsiness. Symptoms of severe hypothermia include mental confusion, disorientation, stupor or coma, absence of shivering, stiff or rigid muscles, shallow and very slow breathing, weak pulse, and a fall in blood pressure. If symptoms of hypothermia are detected, especially in an elderly person, immediate medical help should be sought.

Another winter hazard is carbon monoxide poisoning, which can cause injury to the brain and the heart, resulting in permanent damage or death. Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur with the use of gas or kerosene heaters. It can also occur with indoor use of charcoal briquets for the purpose of either home heating or cooking.