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A hotter planet is pushing older adults beyond the human body’s limits | As the planet warms and the population ages, millions of older adults could face heat their bodies can no longer tolerate. (www.mercurynews.com)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/climate@slrpnk.net
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The paper is here

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[–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I’m normally quite good at listening to my body’s signs, but I can’t deal with heat at all. I don’t know if it comes on too quickly for me to adjust or if I’m just not built for it (all of my ancestors came from a cold, wet rock).

When I try to build up my heat tolerance, I run into a delayed onset of symptoms, which makes it hard not to overdo it. I’ll feel mostly fine until I go to eat my next meal, then I have zero appetite (which can last for hours to days, so I can’t just fast). I try eating melons, cucumbers, citrus, and drinking a lot of water, which appears to work for preventing dehydration, but it doesn’t work to provoke hunger. If I force something more substantial down anyway, I puke. If I just eat what I can when I can (I eat mostly at night in the summer), I lose too much weight.

Can you explain what signs exactly you look for that tell you you need to take a break/slow down?

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  • [–] 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

    Group genetics certainly play a factor. Looking at other places group genetics play a major role though, it doesn't seem to be more limiting than fractions of a percentage point at the top of the best performers. Personal genetics plays a bigger factor.

    Epigenetics certainly plays a much bigger factor. The most important pieces of information being what your parents were exposed to and what you were exposed to at a young age. Both fundamentally change the way your genetics are expressed.

    You might just be an outlier too. This can happen no matter where or who you are.

    It's going to be very hard to acclimate yourself to heat if you can't feel or sense when you are reaching your limit. Do you have trouble sensing when you are thirsty or hungry?

    Like, will you think "I'm a little thirsty" but then when you get the water to your lips your body takes over and you ravenously gulp down the whole thing? Do you get tired or angry because you are hungry, without feeling hunger pains?

    Do you sweat excessively or too little compared to others?

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