The Ministry of Health has advised older adults and those on medication for hypertension or heart conditions to avoid outdoor activity between 11am and 4pm during the current dry spell. Certain medicines reduce the body's ability to regulate temperature, and thirst is a less reliable signal of dehydration after 65.
The advisory suggests drinking on a schedule rather than waiting for thirst, checking on relatives who live alone at least once a day, and treating confusion or a sudden stop in sweating as a medical emergency rather than ordinary tiredness.
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Screening, clinics and prevention for readers over 40.
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If a relative living alone needs daily help.
