heat

A New Gift Helps Me Stay Cool in the Summer Heat

OK, I know I look silly wearing this ā€” maybe even scary ā€” but the Father’s Day gift I received from my son and his family is really cool, especially for someone with multiple sclerosis. Just in time for the hot days of summer, I now have a…

#AANAM ā€“ Abnormally Warm Weather Tied to More ER Visits

Editorā€™s note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17ā€“22. GoĀ hereĀ to read the latest stories from the conference. When the weather is unusually warm, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to require emergency medical care,…

5 Surprising Ways to Stay Cool Without an Air Conditioner

People outside the U.K. might not understand this column, but thatā€™s OK. Not long ago, we had an entire week with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) in most parts of the country. We donā€™t have air conditioning here in the U.K., because normally it is hot only…

Here Comes the Sun, and Itā€™s All Too Much

Yup, it’s the annual whinge about what heat does to most of us, this time livened up by a headline that includes two Beatles’ song titles. (Yes, I did have to scroll through their discography to find the deeply submerged second ā€” a George Harrison number off “Yellow…

Cooling Therapy Before Exercise Can Increase Physical Activity in MS Patients

Lowering body temperature helps to improve exercise and functional capability in multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients by preventing disease worsening, researchers in Ā Greece report. The study with that finding, ā€œImpact of pre-cooling therapy on the physical performance and functional capacity of multiple sclerosis patients: A systematic review,ā€ was published in…

Phew, What a Scorcher

Phew, what a scorcher. The summer of 1976 was the last time it was this hot in the United Kingdom. My lasting memory of that summer was not lazing on a beach, but sweltering as a relief manager in an “off-licence,” which is a liquor store. I probably sold…

A Hot Mess: Heat Sensitivity and MS

I am a hot mess. No, really, I am a hot, sweaty, gel-pack-laden mess. My AC kicked it three hours ago, three hours before Orange County hit a record 112 degrees Fahrenheit. Mother Nature is drunk. And I am getting warmer. Heat is kryptonite to anyone with multiple sclerosis…

Heat and Humidity’s Effects on My MS

When I awaken and start each day, I feel like a hygrometer (a humidity-monitoring device). My body is so in tune to any rise in humidity that I can visualize a red line slowly climbing higher and higher. With each rise of the red humidity line, I can feel…

Mercury Rising: Heat and MS

My favorite season is fall, which is almost tied with winter, then spring, and finally, summer. I love fall for being the beginning of the holiday season as well as for the change in temperature. Although, since moving to Southern California, it…

The Joys and Challenges of Summer

I live in the best place in the U.S. during the summer ā€” the Pacific Northwest, with its temperate climate and easy access to nature and culture. Rarely do we experience heatwaves, and humidity levels run lower than in most places. We may joke thatĀ “it rains…

So Tired of This

It’s summer in the U.K., and it’s hot. That’s cause for celebration for everyone but us. It’s actually the hottest June day since 1986. Heat immediately spikes my fatigue. For some of us, the cold does the same. Thankfully, not me ā€” I get the winter off. According…

MS Burning Feet and Hands Could Be Erythromelalgia

Erythromelalgia is a rare and painful multiple sclerosis (MS) symptom that I (and others with MS) experience. Almost every night my feet have a tight, swollen feeling accompanied by a terribly hot, burning sensation. It is usually cool to the touch but can feel hot at certain…