There is no winning when it comes to temperatures anymore for me. I can’t handle the extreme cold and I can’t handle the extreme heat. It’s exactly 8:22 as I am writing my blog today and I have all my windows open. Currently the temperature is 65° out going up to 73°. my temperature in my house is showing 70°. That’s a little on the warm side, we’ll see what happens as the day progresses.

Where I am sure I could do an accurate explanation on heat intolerance after 20 years, I decided to go with Web MD for a the description https://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/impact-temperature

Heat or high humidity can make many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience a temporary worsening of their symptoms. Doctors believe that this occurs because heat causes nerves (whose myelin covering has been destroyed from MS) to conduct electrical signals even less efficiently. Most people with MS avoid hot baths, hot showers, and heated swimming pools.

Life isn’t necessarily better in cold weather. In cold weather people have also a MS symptoms act up. According to Web MD they say the spasticity. I could agree to that. I know my body has issues regulating its own temperature. I could just be sitting around and break out in a sweat and can’t cool off. I also know that I can get a cold chills that causes me to need a shower, a very hot shower, to relieve the chill. It’s quite the catch 22. I take the hot shower which activates all my symptoms from the heat to alleviate the cold chill. Luckily, those cold chills happen less frequently. The heat, that doesn’t take much.

I’ve said this more than once in a blog, what do you do? How do you get through the heat? After 20 years I have learned a couple things that of help me and I’ll repeat them again today.

1. Plan, plan and plan again. Know where you’re going, know what you’re doing, and prepare your body for it. If you’re going to be outside rest before you go maybe take cool ice packs with you. If you know you’re going to be inside but it’s gonna be a long day, make sure you’re by AC. Just know what your activities is going to be in advance so you can plan accordingly.
2. I avoid days where I have to be in and out of a car frequently. Going in and out into the heat and humidity multiple times kills me more than if I decided to exercise outside for 30 minutes. So if you doing something that requires multiple stops maybe don’t get out of the car (if possible) and leave the car on with the AC.
3. Frozen grapes. I love frozen grapes at night, they helped cool me down. They’re my favorite snack. It’s great for helping my body temperature come down.
4. If it’s really hot and humid, don’t go out, if you could avoid it. Just be smart and know your body. Know you’re a MS and know your symptoms.

Today might only be 73 but it is the beginning. Have a wonderful day.