I often talk about the central nervous system — which can be so savagely attacked by MS — as our bodies’ electrical system. We all know that our computers need to stay cool; so, too, do our brains. Heat is notorious for bringing on pseudoexacerbations, or short-term worsening of MS symptoms. In a pseudoexacerbation — unlike an MS relapse — no new damage is being done in the central nervous system. But the symptoms can be similar, albeit shorter-lived. Cooling down generally helps to reverse the effects of heat. What, then, do we do when the thermometer rises and our bodies begin to wilt?
It’s Time to Plan Ahead for Hot Weather
As the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere change from spring to summer, it’s time once again to face a coming reality. Summertime heat (and particularly the humidity that can go with it) can cause us to wilt like an unwatered petunia left in a garden pot. My current home in Ireland, much like my former home in Seattle, could be said to be cool and damp in the winter (not too cold), and mild and sunny in the summer (not too hot). It’s something of a Goldilocks “just right” porridge when it comes to MS. But even Ireland has a heat wave now and then, and few of us in these parts have centralized air-conditioning in our homes. However, there are a few things we can do to stay cool when we live in an area not quite accustomed to the heat. I do not purport that this is a complete list, by any means. I hope, in fact, that you might help me complete the list by commenting on your coping methods. Here are mine:
Drink plenty of cool, clear fluids (and as much as it pains me, avoid alcohol and caffeine).Place a cool, damp cloth on your skin where the blood vessels are close to the surface (the insides of your wrists and elbows, around your neck, the backs of your knees, etc.).Spend the hottest part of the day in an air-conditioned shopping center or movie theater.Get into a pool.Wear light and loose-fitting clothing.Spritz your face, neck, and arms with a spray bottle of cool water.Precool your body in a cool shower or tub if you have to go into the heat.Follow up any activity in the heat with a cool shower.Wear a cooling vest for warm-weather activities.
It’s only May, so with luck, we won’t need too many of these strategies right away. But it’s good to have them at the ready for when we do. Wishing you and your family the best of health. Cheers, Trevis
