If you suspect that someone is suffering from a heat-related illness:
* Get the person out of the sun and into an air-conditioned or other cool place.
* Offer fluids such as water, fruit and vegetable juices, but avoid alcohol and caffeine.
* Encourage the individual to shower, bathe or sponge off with cool water.
* Apply a cold, wet cloth to the wrists, neck, armpits, and/or groin, places where blood passes close to the surface and the cold cloths can help cool the blood.
* Urge the person to lie down and rest, preferably in a cool place.
For a free copy of the NIA s Age Page on hyperthermia in English or in Spanish, contact the NIA Information Center at 1-800-222-2225 or go to http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/hyperther.asp or www.niapublications.org/agepages/hyperther-sp.asp for the Spanish-language version.
The NIA leads the federal effort supporting and conducting research on aging and the medical, social and behavioral issues of older people. For more information on research and the aging, go to www.nia.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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