Find out about MS and heat sensitivity

UK heatwaves are synonymous with front-page pictures of beaches packed with people enjoying the sunshine, busy beer gardens buzzing with excitement, and long queues of children at the ice-cream van.

But for those with multiple sclerosis (MS), very often the heat spells nothing but misery because it can induce a worsening of symptoms, albeit temporarily.

In fact, many years ago, one of the ways to diagnose MS was to lower someone suspected of having the condition into a hot bath, and if symptoms appeared or worsened, the assumption was made that they had MS.

It’s thought that nerve function is affected by changes in temperature, and when the myelin coating that protects the nerves is damaged, as is the case when you have MS, heat sensitivity  is further exacerbated.

So how can I cool down instantly?

Your body contains pulse points that assist in your heat regulation function, situated in areas such as your wrists, ankles, the rear of your knees and your elbow crooks.

These are sensitive points of your body where the veins are closest to your skin’s surface, allowing you to access your blood and circulatory system more directly than in other areas of your body. By applying something cool to these areas for 20 minutes or so at a time, such as an ice pack covered with a towel, a cool wet towel or simply a bag of something frozen from your freezer, your body will benefit from a rapid cooling sensation.

Cool your feet

Your feet are home to thousands of nerve endings and play an integral part in helping you to control your body’s temperature. Keeping your feet cool can be a quick and easy way to prevent overheating. For example, fill a bowl or bucket with cold water and dip your feet into it, place a damp towel over your feet, spray your feet with cool water or a specialist cooling foot spray, such as ones infused with Peppermint that help to promote that cooling sensation.

Cool ties and scarves

Cooling scarves are simply something you tie around your neck with the impact being a full-body cooling sensation. These simple yet effective ties and scarves are relatively cheap and accessible. Some come with replaceable cooling inserts that need to be frozen and others contain polymer crystals that when soaked in water cools the body through evaporation. There are some scarves, shawls and ties that you can buy direct from the suppliers and there are also other options available on the internet. Try Soo Cool, MediChill, or TieChilly, with other providers also being available.

Cool clothing

Wearing suitable clothing made of breathable materials is a must in the quest to stay cool. Cotton, linen and rayon are all materials that are breathable and can help your body’s temperature regulation process. Go for lightweight, loose clothing and if you are venturing outdoors also consider the colours you wear. Remember, dark colours absorb more heat than lighter coloured ones, with the science behind this being that the closer to black, or darker, a colour is the more light energy it absorbs. The lighter the colour the more light energy is reflected with the result being that your body stays cooler.

Cool your environment

Keeping your home cool is an effective and easy way to help prevent your body from overheating. Some quick ways of doing this include closing the curtains or blinds of windows that are facing the sun, positioning an ice pack or bowl/drinks bottle containing ice in front of a fan to create an air conditioning effect and closing the doors to a room you wish to keep cool to help prevent warm air from entering. Also consider letting the cooler night air into your home by opening your windows once the sun has set, so long as you feel comfortable in doing so..

Cool your diet

Staying hydrated is a vital part of helping your body to stay cool, with the Public Health England’s Eatwell Guide suggesting we each consume between six to eight glasses of fluids per day, this includes water, squash, tea and coffee.

It is not just about drinking water regularly, when you sweat to keep cool your body loses electrolytes such as sodium which our bodies use to help maintain fluid balance and blood pressure. The good news is that there are easily accessible, healthy drinks that provide a good source of electrolytes, such as coconut water and milk. Foods such as yoghurt, bananas, watermelon, avocado, chicken and kale are amongst a whole host of foods that provide a natural source of electrolytes. Why not try a cold salad on days where you feel particularly affected by the heat, washed down with a cold glass of water or sugar-free squash?