heat & ms
This summer has been horrible for me. I live in NC & just stepping outside makes me feel sick. The heat & humidity keeps me from doing anything outside. I haven't even been able to go in my pool because the feeling I get when the water touches my skin is a terrible feeling. It gives me burning chills which leads to spasticity & have to get out of the water. When I do get overheated just by doing chores in the house, I can feel my face getting red & I know I have overdone it. When I get to this point, as my body tries to cool down, I experience extreme sickening chills throughout my body which leaves me with spasms & out of sorts & I have to go to bed. Any suggestions on how to stop getting these chills or helping my body adapt to any type of temperature change? Thanks for your help
Hi
. You must be awfully frustrated. This has been a brutal summer for people with MS. Hopefully, you will get a break soon as temperatures cool down. There really isn't much you can do to help your body adapt, but you can try a few things to keep your body cooler. For instance, you could swim earlier in the morning or in the evening when the temperatures are a bit cooler. You can also try using cooling products, like a cooling vest, for trips outdoors in the heat or for those times when you are likely to get overheated indoors. The Multiple Sclerosis Association of American has a program that provides cooling products for free. Here is a link to the application: https://mymsaa.org/msaa-help/cooling-products/ . If you don't have air conditioning, you might consider getting a window unit for one room that can be your retreat when you begin to feel overheated. Many people with MS who are sensitive to the heat try to find indoor hobbies or passions that they can turn to on the worst of the summer days. Is there anything like that that might interest you? I hope some of these suggestions help and that you can avoid some of the worst heat symptoms. Thinking of you and sending the coolest of wishes your way. - Lori (Team Member) Foster Thank you so much for responding to me & your empathy. I will certainly see if I can get some cooling products. Thank you for letting me know about this. I know they can really help me along with your other tips.
