Staying Cool With MS This Summer

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Last Updated on December 5, 2023 by Cathy

Summer is just around the corner! For most people that means spending more time outside having fun. For people with multiple sclerosis (MS) that could mean staying in an air-conditioned room. That is until it cools down again thanks to heat intolerance. By taking precautions you can spend time outdoors or take that trip you’ve been wanting without overheating.

Many people with MS are sensitive to rising temperatures and humidity, I used to be one of these people. As soon as the temperature started heating up around the mid-70s F (24° C), my body would start shutting down. I could feel my face getting flushed. My eyesight would start getting vision loss, I felt like I was wearing heavy boots, and my legs didn’t want to work. Once I moved to a cooler area, it would take about three hours for my body to get back to normal.

I spent the majority of hot days indoors with the air conditioning. It’s no fun when your family and friends are outdoors having fun at barbecues, picnics, or whatever. While you’re hiding indoors trying to stay cool. Warmer temperatures from the weather, a hot shower, a fever, or exercise can make MS symptoms worse. It’s known as Uhthoff’s phenomenon.

Uhthoff’s Phenomenon

Also known as Uhthoff’s syndrome. It’s the medical term for the temporary worsening of neurological symptoms. This happens to people with MS as they heat up. Wilhelm Uhthoff, an ophthalmologist, discovered temporary vision loss from increased physical exercise. Later they realized this happens from the rise in body temperature in MS patients. Before MRIs, doctors would use a “hot bath test” to increase a person’s body temperature as a diagnosis of MS.

Even a slight temperature rise, as little as half a degree, can cause MS symptoms to worsen. It’s due to damaged myelin (the protective stealth around the nerves) which exposes the nerves. Researchers believe that the heat worsens these exposed nerves triggering temporary symptoms. When the body’s core is eventually cooled back down the symptoms lessen.

Heat sensitivity affects up to 80 percent of MS patients, that’s a lot of patients suffering. Fortunately, this is only temporary but during that time it makes a person feel awful. I know this feeling all too well from many years of suffering. There were times I didn’t think I would be able to drive all the way home after work because of the heat intolerance.

Fortunately for me, those days are over. This is my third year of not having heat intolerance! All thanks to eating a Paleo version of a Candida diet and seeing a functional medical provider. You can learn more by checking out my About page.

Quick Links To Information in This Post:

The Connection Between MS and Candida
How To Tell If You Have Candida
Foods To Eat and Avoid with MS and Candida
My Travel Packing List with MS

Staying Cool

As the temperature rises it raises your body’s core temperature. Which affects the nerve impulses. Keeping your body core cooler will help lessen the impact of heat intolerance. There are times when you can’t avoid spending some time in the warmer outdoor temperatures. However, there are things you can do to help keep your body cooler.

Apply a cold washcloth to your face or neck
Avoid hot baths, hot showers, hot springs, hot tubs, heated pools, and saunas
Bring a handheld fan or misting fan with you
Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated
Don’t overdo it
Exercise early in the morning or in a cool environment
Frozen water bottles are great to place on your forehead or neck to help cool you down
Stay indoors during the hottest time of the day
Stay in the shade
Use cooling products like a cooling vest
Wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your face and neck, especially for men
Wear breathable clothing like cotton

If you do plan to travel this summer, I’ve created a Travel Packing List with MS. There are many packing lists available online but this one is specifically for people with MS. It includes canes, cooling devices, and needle clippers, things you can’t find on other packing lists. I’ve included how to get this list at the bottom of this post.

Traveling

Summer is a great time for traveling. Unfortunately, it also comes with overheating your body’s core temperature. Even if you’re in an air-conditioned vehicle you can get heated up if the sun is shining on you. Take precautions whether you are driving or flying to your destination.

Add a UV-protective sunscreen to your vehicle side and/or back windows
Bring coolers for packing water and ice
Wear a hat with a 3-inch brim
Wear light-weight protective clothing such as light-colored sleeves and pants
Window tinting is great for blocking out the sun (check your area for local codes)
Zip tight sandwich bags for adding ice to place on your body if you get overheated

Cooling Products for MS

Fortunately, there are many cooling products you can purchase to help keep you cool. Items such as vests, neck wraps, or cooling hats. My favorite place to purchase different cooling products is from Polar Products. They have many different cooling products to choose from. One of my favorites was the neck scarf. It kept my neck cool, which helped, I could wear it anywhere and people didn’t realize it was a cooling wrap.

If you’re flying check your airline to see if you can carry on your cooling item or if you need to do a luggage check-in. Fortunately, there are many places you can get cooling products to help keep you cooler.

Cooling Product Sources:

Coolture
First Line Technology
Friends of Water
Glacier Tek
MS Cooling
Polar Products
StaCool Vest
Steel Cooling Vests

If cost is a problem don’t worry! Thanks to two different MS organizations you can get cooling products free of charge. All you have to do is click on the links below and fill out an application for each program. Hurry, before the hot weather gets here.