July 8, 2022 Columns by Jamie Hughes Getting in Gear: Essential Equipment for an Excellent Beach Vacation The last few months have been a bit stressful, to say the least, and with the thousand and one worries and distractions I was facing, I couldnāt help but think of the opening lines of a William Wordsworth poem: āThe world is too much with us; late and…
July 1, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias 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…
May 25, 2022 Columns by Beth Ullah It’s Time to Start Thinking About Seasonal Adjustments and MS The thought of summer approaching both worries and excites me. I’ve always preferred the changing of seasons and fair weather to the height of a season, even before my MS diagnosis. I prefer change and the idea of starting anew, as if it might be a remedy to the…
August 13, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Heat, Variable Temperatures Found to Increase Risk of MS Hospital Visits Visits to the hospital related to multiple sclerosis (MS) are more common when it’s hot or when temperatures are more variable, but less likely to be needed when it’s humid, a new analysis suggests. The results were published in theĀ International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, in…
April 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā Abnormally Warm Weather Tied to More ER Visits Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17ā22. 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,…
December 1, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace How Is Your MS Affected by Temperature Sensitivity? āIām tooĀ hot!ā My brain was turning to mush as my body seemed to grow heavier. I could feel the energy draining out of me. This isn’t an uncommon complaint when the weather grows hotter during the summer. Most people…
September 8, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace 5 Surprising Ways to Stay Cool Without an Air Conditioner People outside the U.K. might not understand this column, but thatās OK. Not long ago, we had an entire week with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) in most parts of the country. We donāt have air conditioning here in the U.K., because normally it is hot only…
July 6, 2020 Columns by John Connor Here Comes the Sun, and Itās 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…
October 17, 2019 Columns by Tamara Sellman Need to Know: Why Do People Have Seasonal Temperature Sensitivity? Editor’s note: “Need to Knowā is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the forum topicĀ “Is it the summer or winter weather that impacts your MS the most?”…
January 4, 2019 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD 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, āImpact of pre-cooling therapy on the physical performance and functional capacity of multiple sclerosis patients: A systematic review,ā was published in…
July 20, 2018 Columns by John Connor 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…
July 12, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell 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…
June 18, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson 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…
February 8, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell 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…
July 13, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman 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…
June 23, 2017 Columns by John Connor 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…
May 31, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson 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…