heat and pain | Patient Talk

Image result for Beating MS associated Heat Sensitivity

When inflammatory damage strips the myelin coating off the nerves of the brain, those nerves don’t work well, or sometimes at all. The body fixes the problem by laying down several ion channels along the naked axon, which helps transmit electrical signal down the damaged nerve. This works (you regain function) but it’s not efficient. THEN when the system is heated up (the human’s core body temperature raises a little from working out, being exposed to summer hot weather, etc) those ion channels leach out their ions and the naked damaged nerve once again can not conduct electricity. Once the body is cooled back down however, the nerve works again.

So there are some tricks to consider to work up despite this heat sensitivity. Working out when it’s cool outside, using cooling devices, drinking ice water while exercising…these all help cool the body. There is even a prescription medication that can help manage heat sensitivity! Watch the video for more and please leave your comments and questions below.

Ice pack. Make at home a cool off!

One of the original ideas behind this healthcare blog was to provide and online space where people could share their ideas and experiences. And most importantly their tips.

Last year we ran a poll looking at how temperature impacts upon pain levels. In that case the poll itself looked at the cold but from the comments it became clear that heat was also an issue for pain for many of our readers and commenters.

Indeed one of our most popular posts of last year was the great tip on how to keep cool in the heat. Indeed I was introduced to the idea from a member of the multiple sclerosis community who found it a very effective way of reducing summertime pain.

Similar applies to other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.

So what is the point of this blog?

Well pretty simple from past research we know that people with conditions such as MS and fibro have loads of great ideas on how to keep cool. The aim of this blog is to ask you to share them in the comments box below.

By the way if you are a commercial vendor we won’t delete you post but we do ask you to be very clear the your offering is part of a business.

Otherwise cheap and effective are the watchwords for the comments on this blog.

Thanks very much in advance!

NRamey	The sponge ice pack is a wonderful idea! I usually don’t have a problem with being too hot at night because I sleep with a fan blowing on me, even in the winter. My biggest heat problem is when I go out in the summer. I’ll keep this idea in mind!~

patienttalk	Julie White Thanks Julie
Julie White	You can buy “chillow” to keep your head cool & I have a mattress pad made from cooling gel which is invaluable! Just pop it under your sheet & sleep comfortably- until you get too cold then move over the other side if the bed!! Got mine from bright life uk. Xx
patienttalk	FrancesSedgwick Thanks Frances This is great
FrancesSedgwick	I live with ME/CFS/FMS since 1993. I had a constant symptom of head sweats whenever I tried to rest or sleep. I started using wet washers, then bags of ice, then onto large gel ice packs. I put them in single layer in a freezer, wrap them in a half folded velour towel. Put them on my pillow behind my neck and sleep in comfort. I wake up when they get hot or defrost too much and I get up and replace them. Probably 3 or 4 times a night. I had surgery 18 mths ago and when I came back to the ward, they could not get my temperature down and I was very unsettled, the nurse did not know what to do for me. Luckily hubby was there and I had bought 2 ice packs in with me. He asked for them to be got and I settled immediately. Slept the anesthetic off and was able to go home. I keep about 4 large 6 x 6 ice paks in the freezer now and take on to bed every time I lay down.