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Dealing With the Heat and LEMS -Tips!
Summer is here! With it comes high temperatures and, depending on the weather and your location, high humidity. LEMS doesn’t like this. Not only do I have problems, but other patients I’ve spoken to report significant issues with heat. But how do we deal with this?We’ve got to keep on living and doing things, often outside.
The obvious strategy is avoid going out in high heat. This isn’t always a viable option, but here, in the Texas summer heat, I usually plan my day so chores and errands are done before early afternoon. Stay in, where it’s cool!
But what if you know you’re going to be out and get hot? I’m trying to be very mindful now of how hot my core is getting. On my planned walks, I actually enjoy getting sweaty! Recent events though, have taught me to be very mindful of getting overheated. Dropping info a flop sweat is a pretty good indication your core temperature may be elevated.
What did I do when this happened about a week ago? I jumped in a comfortable shower and then slowly turned it refreshingly cold. That felt SO GOOD! About 5 minutes splashing under cold water did the trick. Coming out, I felt refreshed and the flop sweat was gone. So remember, if you sense you’ve overheated your core, a cold shower can bring that temperature back down effectively and quickly.
Now here’s the good one. Last year my neurologist ordered me a cooling vest. It was too late in the season when it arrived, so I packed it away. This year I’ve pulled it out and used it. My experience is limited, but I think it works at lowering my core temperature very well.
Here’s a link to the one the VA sent me!https://steelevest.com/medical-cooling-vest-for-ms/
This isn’t a commercial because I’m sure there are other companies, so Google up “cooling vests”, and you’ll find plenty of resources.
Essentially, I have a canvas vest with a long, narrow pocket on each side. An insulated sleeve goes in each pocket, and a frozen strip of gel pack goes in that sleeve. The last couple of times I’ve taken my walks, I prepared the vest before leaving, then slipped it on as soon as I returned. It feels very good! I’m going to keep up this routine through my summer walks.
I hope this information and my experiences will help you weather the summer heat! -
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