Question

Vanessa notices that even though her 80-year-old grandmother keeps her thermostat at 800 F, she still wears a sweater in her house. When Vanessa asks her grandmother why, her grandmother tells her she is very cold. Vanessa can’t understand this and asks you for an explanation. What would you tell her?

Answer 1

Answer:

As one age, the bodies become subtle to cold temperatures. This is generally due to decline in the metabolic rate. As one age, the bodies lose the tendency of producing sufficient heat to sustain the usual temperature of 98.6 degrees. In addition to this, thinning of the skin is another thing, which may contribute to the feeling of cold in older individuals.  

With age, the physical tendency of the body declines, and the body does not function as it used to earlier. A decline in temperature can make the older adults very cold, even if they are dressed warmly. There are various researchers, which shows that older individuals exhibit low body temperatures in comparison to the younger ones.  

Some of the factors that can contribute to cold sensitivity in older adults are:  

1. Poor metabolic rate

2. Loss of elasticity of the blood vessels.  

3. Low blood pressure

4. Thinning of the fat layer underneath the skin

5. Physical issues and exposure to cold water