My guest blogger today is Katie Brind’Amour. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and freelance health and wellness writer based in America, and loves learning about natural ways to live well. She enjoys writing for Healthline.com and WomensHealthcareTopics.com:
Perhaps it’s wishful Spring thinking, or perhaps it’s the knowledge that year after year it does eventually get warmer, that makes me turn to thoughts of sun and heat. When fighting MS, however, warm weather is not all good news.
Most people with MS have something in common: myelin sheath that has taken a permanent vacation. This means your nerves are extra sensitive to temperature changes, and flare-ups can happen.
Dealing with MS When It’s HOT (or if you’re in the UK….’a tad warm’)
- Make the air conditioner your best friend. Hang out together all the time—whether it’s at your house or the local grocery store, mall, or movie theater. Becoming best mates means lots of quality time in a cool, comfortable climate (and less quality time feeling the burn!).
- Invest in ice packs. These frozen heroes can be frozen overnight and taken with you for a day trip, picnic, or even a hot car ride (if your car can’t handle your air conditioner best friend). They are super cheap and stay cold for many hours—wrap them in a towel for long-lasting cold presses. Otherwise, be old-fashioned and just run a washcloth under water to use to cool your skin during walks or outdoor time.
- Be cool: use water. This means drink it (cold!), swim in it, and bathe in it wisely. Add ice to beverages to keep your core a bit cooler, enjoy a cool pool for exercise, and take a cool bath. Hot water only tends to aggravate MS symptoms. Although you can sub out other cold liquids for the drinking bit, substituting other liquids for swimming and bathing may not be quite as feasible…
- Protect that body! Be smart about your exposure to sun and heat. This goes for clothing (dress lightly and protect your skin from sunburn) as well as for finding shade. Short of investing in one of those giant retractable awnings they show on TV, you might try finding a shady park for morning walks or wearing a super fashionable baseball cap.
Just remember: to beat the heat troubles of MS, it doesn’t take pure genius, just common sense. Enjoy the coming warm breezes with a totally chillaxed mind (and body—MS or no!).
p.s. the totally gratuitous image of a lovely young man cooling down was taken by Graur Razvan Ionut and is available free (the image, not the man) at http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/agree-terms.php?id=10019970