Beating the Heat!

Autoimmune Disease and Heat

Overheating can exacerbate autoimmune disease symptoms. It does not cause any progression of the disease. For MS it slows down or blocks nerve signals. This can cause a temporary flare up of vision abnormalities, tremors, paralysis and cognitive function.

Apparently a way MS was diagnosed in the past was immersing a patient in a hot bath, if symptoms worsened that was evidence the person had MS. If a person with MS raises their core temperature only a quarter of a degree Celsius they will notice a worsening of symptoms.

If I get too hot for a period of time I get blurred vision, brain fog and fatigue. This is an area where I have learned not to push through it. In the past I have tried to push through the uncomfortable feeling I experience when I get too hot, I would pay for it. If I overheat it takes hours and sometimes even days to fully recover my regular energy level, vision and to get rid of that darn brain fog. I’m also aware that I don’t sweat properly anymore so my body doesn’t cool itself off as it once did. I have discovered some tricks to keep myself cool on those warm days.

1. Water

I keep water with me at all times. When I go to Little League games or if I know I will be outside in the heat for hours I pack a gallon resealable bag with ice in it. When it melts I can drink it, if my water warms up, I can cool it with the ice. Sometimes I end up rubbing an ice cube on me too! Also adding lemon juice or cucumbers or both to your water can not only be refreshing, but has some detoxifying properties too. I also keep my ice maker running because I add ice to my water on those really hot days.

If you feel like you need an extra electrolyte boost Mommypotamus has a pretty good homemade sports drink, and here is one from Wellness Mama too. I’m working on a recipe and will update this when I have it perfected!

2. Personal Mister

In warmer months I always have my personal mister in my purse. I have this personal mister myself and love it. I’ve had it over a year and it has not failed me! I use it everywhere. I brought it on the airplane with me (empty) when I went to The Netherlands and it sure came in handy before take off when the air wasn’t really on yet! I spray it on my chest and back of my neck and it instantly cools me off. Yes, this is temporary, but it helps me not get to the point of no return with overheating. Please, if you overheat, get yourself this inexpensive gadget!

      3. Cooling Pad

A cooling pad/towel seemed to be counterintuitive to me. Cover yourself with a blanket to cool off? But it works. Of course the blanket is wet, but a Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad is cool as well and doesn’t get your clothes wet unless you oversaturate it. It’s one of those evaporative, snap, towel thingies! I will put this towel on my lap, mist myself with my personal mister and drink a liter of cool water and I’m cooled down.

4. A Fan

A small fan aimed at my upper body while I’m at the computer, watching TV or eating has helped in a pretty big way too.  It seems to be such a simple solution, yet I overlooked it for too long. As I write this I have my little fan aimed at me and I’m cool and comfortable. It has a USB connection and an adapter to be plugged into a regular outlet. This has also helped our electric bill since I don’t need to cool down the entire house by running the a/c, I just cool me! I find air movement in general very helpful. Ceiling fans are a tremendous help as well, I just like a close directed fan in addition to the ceiling fan.

5. Turn off Electronic Devices

Turning off electronic devices that aren’t being used saves energy and keeps the house cooler. TV’s, computers, DVD players and video game systems can heat up a room quick. You can plug all these into a power strip and then unplug the entire power strip when not using them.

6. Take a Shower

If I’m uncomfortably hot, taking a lukewarm or cool shower is so refreshing. I’m in California so it’s a quick shower, we’re still in a drought here, but a quick 3-5 minutes shower can really make a difference for me. I also air dry ( think Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire!) and leave my hair to air dry, this really helps!

7. Loose Clothing

I have found that while shopping for clothes I tend to buy loose fitting, flowing clothing now. If you wear lighter colored clothing, lighter materials and clothing that doesn’t cling to your body you stay cooler longer. I have a bunch of cotton sundresses now that are my warm weather clothing of choice. If you see me in these dresses it’s a sign I’m hot or think I will be getting hot, so watch out people.

8. Cooling Hat

I have a cooling hat made by the same company as the chilly pad. Frogg Togg’s. It runs a little small, but fits my head just fine. It is hard like the chilly pads until you wet it and then it becomes pliable. I’ve used this on days we are going to be at an amusement park or the beach. Sun protection and cooling, genius! It needs to be someplace I know I will have air movement (since it’s an evaporative cooling hat) and somewhere I can soak it in water again when it dries out. You don’t want this thing to harden on your head, trust me, it’s not comfortable! Check out Amazon or the Frogg Togg’s website to find more cooling products, they even have a chilly pad for dogs!

9. Don’t Push It

No one wants to be a party pooper. You don’t want to miss an event or feel left out. Some friends and family may even change their plans because you can’t join in on a hot summer day. Oh the guilt! When my friends want to spend the day at the beach I always have my own vehicle so if I’m overheating I can get in the car, crank up the a/c and head home if all my tricks cannot hold me over any longer.

If you push it you will pay. This is what I have to remember. This was shown to me yet again at my son’s Little League game. I forgot to bring my cooling hat, bag of ice and cooling pad. I ran out of water and my personal mister was working overtime. After returning home from the game it took me a good 4 hours of time spent sprawled out on the couch to recover. It’s not fun for me or the family. In the end what amounted to about a half hour of being hot was 4 hours of recovery, that is just crazy. I look healthy to most people and I myself can forget I have MS, but when the heat turns up so do my symptoms. This is when I am reminded to listen to my body, please listen to yours.

I hope some or all of these tips help you beat the heat this summer. If you have any other tricks to stay cool, please share them below. I’m always on the lookout for more ways to cool off or stay cool. 

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