It’s midwinter, and that means the thermostat wars are in
full swing. In our house, it's one of life’s ups and downs. There may be a chill in the air, but our house is hot – way-ay
too hot. And it’s turning up the heat on a daily debate.
He turns the heat up.
I turn it down.
He turns it up.
I turn
it down.
You get the picture.
I’ve explained the ins and outs of Uhthoff’s Syndrome, the
medically proven perils of overheating that face those of us living with
multiple sclerosis. I’ve even printed out scientific papers documenting this. I’m
pretty sure I’m talking to a wall (like the wall on which our home thermostat
is mounted).
He cranks it up to the mid-70s (F). I dial it back to 68 (F).
It’s endless.
Some medical experts say 68 (F) is the ideal
home temperature for someone with MS. That’s about 20 (C).
I must admit: I’m growing a bit hot under the collar over
it. (One might say it's getting out of control.)
Nope, I’m not
nitpicking. This is a real thing.
You could say I'm venting, and that may be true. Or possibly, I'm simply letting off steam. But MS heat intolerance is factual.
In fact, before neurologists grew so fond of magnetic
resonance imaging and lumbar punctures (spinal taps), they used to put patients
into hot baths to diagnose multiple sclerosis. Those who experienced
worsened symptoms in this steamy setting were tagged as MSers.
Heat sensitivity is why MSers try not to sit near heating
output vents in restaurants. It’s the reason we choose the beds farthest from
the heating units in hotel rooms. It’s why we don’t find high-temperature
baths, steamy saunas, and hot tubs to be particularly inviting. It also
explains why we open kitchen windows while baking or cooking and why lots of us
sleep with fans all year round.
To a person with MS, a slight
increase in body temperature can bring on a whole host of unpleasant
symptoms. It’s a real nightmare.
It may be difficult to help a non-MSer understand our
symptoms, because these manifestations of MS frequently come and go. They are
unpredictable and hard for even us to fathom sometimes.
We’re not making
this stuff up.
One of the curiosities of this crazy condition is the way it
jumbles our own internal thermostats. We can feel hot when everyone else is
cold. And vice versa. We may be peeling off sweaters, while others are reaching
for their coats.
Even so, a genuine elevation of heat (even a small one) sets
the worst of MS in motion.
What happens when the
house is too hot?
For me (and many other MSers), my world begins to whirl
(from vertigo). My vision blurs. My color perception dulls. Various body parts
grow numb or pins-and-needles tingly. Fatigue attacks like a beast. Even my
speech can be affected. (Some MSers experience tremors, absentmindedness or
even incontinence as part of this well-known heat intolerance.)
It’s no fun.
It can be a sub-zero winter day, and I’ll step outside for a
moment of relief. When I cool off, the symptoms usually subside, as long as I
don’t heat up again.
What about cold
temperatures?
Now don’t get me started about what extreme cold temperatures
(or sudden temperature shifts in either direction) do to the MSer. Those days
of uber-frosty air conditioning are coming, along with their own set of related
MS symptoms flare-ups.
Meanwhile, I think I’ll go check that thermostat again.
Related items:
·
Cooking
with MS: It's all about timing
·
Life
with MS: Sometimes you feel like toasting, but other times you're just toast.
·
My
shower looks like a crime scene
·
Remember
hot showers? Not with MS.
·
Remember
when bathing didn’t make you blind?
·
With
MS, a hot flash may not be a hot flash at all.
Image/s: public domain photo/s
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