Well , folks how was your day?
Do you feel as limp as the lettuce in a British Rail Salad?
Are you struggling day and night with the added burden of Heat Intolerance that comes with Chronic Illness , Flagging Adrenals and Steroid usage.
If not , you are lucky , and should probably consider a stake on the National Lottery this weekend , as most , if not all people with Chronic illness , suffer the hot , sweaty horrors of Heat Sensitivity during their struggle with their conditions.
I have suffered with both forms of temperature sensitivity over my years with various chronic conditions , and , although I have often mentioned some of my hard earned tips in advice on particular posts on the forum , I thought this current European heatwave , and the up and coming Holiday Season might be a good time to impart my , " wisdom", yes wisdom , on how to help cope with the heat.
( stop laughing at the back of the class Yellow Bluebell , Scats, and Goddess Freja I can hear you from here , despite the tinnitus , I can occasionally be wise 😝)
So here goes , and , with any luck, you can spend the weekend looking slightly less like a damp dish cloth flopped , face bent down , over the back of the nearest garden chair .
Or , at least you may be able to enjoy those balmy Summer days and trips abroad without needing resuscitation and an Ambulance . Those photos never look that good in your photo album.
Oh , and if anyone has Angela Merkels' email you might want to send it on , the poor dear definitely needs a bit of help in the heat just now . Ditch the heavy polyester suits for starters sweetie , or it will all end in tears! Anyway.... The List , like the road it's long, but not hard and keep a fan for the turns!!
1. Drink more fluids . The most important rule of all.
Water , preferably mineral and not tap , replenish the salts in your body and hydrate instead of flushing the salts you need for good kidney function on those trips to the loo.
Green tea , any flavour , either iced and kept in a bottle in the fridge , or, believe it or not , warm when you are feeling very hot to aid perspiration.
If you are in a really hot country a homemade isotonic drink first thing in the morning can help reduce the impact of dehydration on your system bringing on the shakes and other issues from loss of salts. Take care if you have high BP or kidney issues though.
We all suffer with dehydration because of the extra work that bodies do internally to process drugs and reduce inflammation , in hot weather these jobs are even harder to do , we can need 50% more fluids per day in the heat because of sweating and water loss . So , drink , drink , drink.
Take a bottle of water out with you everywhere ( cool it in the fridge or put ice in it before you go out so it's not warm and manky!) . Top it up as you go at shops or cafes. Drink while you are on the go , it reduces the Fatigue in hot weather as much as taking regular rests.
Don't be fooled to think just because you aren't moving you can stop drinking . If you sit for a long time , or are on a long train or plane trip , sip water constantly so you don't get headaches and can cope with the activity when you do get up.
If you sit for along time , before you get out of bed or just before you exercise , drink alot before you get up to prevent dizziness .
If you are fed up of drinking , especially if you have done alot of activity/exercise and have Diabetes related issues , get one of those homemade ice lolly kits , or use an ice cube tray and make mini juice lollies , they are refreshing and prevent the Fatigue of going in a Sugar Dip without causing a massive peak.
Drink , Drink , Drink!!
2. Pace Yourself!!!
You need twice the energy with Chronic Health issues in hot weather to do anything than you usually do .
Don't be fooled by the Feelgood Factor of Summer Sun.
Just because the sun makes you feel a mental energy boost it doesn't give you more physical energy , that reduces in the heat .
Tell you brain you will not be tricked by its subtle plan to make you bounce about for an hour like a moron then force you to spend the next day lying on the sofa , half dressed like a panting wreck.
Train yourself to give yourself more time to do each activity than usual. Plan more rests into your day or trips than you normally do on an average day.
Do not try and fit in lots more activities just because the sun has got its hat on. You might want to, but you really can't create the itinerary of a World Leader with Chronic Health issues , not unless you want to become the next statistic on the Evening News!
Plan your day even more carefully than normal . Make sure that things that take the most physical activity are done in the morning or after 4 pm.
Be like a Spaniard , take a Siesta! even if you don't sleep , have a relaxing lay down in a cool , comfy place .
For the love of all that is PMR , do not be like Mad dogs and Englishmen and go out in the Midday Sun. Between 11.30 - 2.30 , keep off the sun loungers or the beach , even in the shade or in the sea. It's a definite two day pain trigger if you try to act like a British Loon on Holiday .
Plan restful activity days between physical days on holiday. Be ready to give up your plan for the day if it's too hot and just enjoy the view from a cool shady spot. And horror of all horrors , accept that although it looks lovely , especially if you are already under the weather you may need to spend the day inside!!!! Argh!!!!
Never fall asleep out in the sun , even in the shade , it's the water thing again.
If you want to exercise, choose sports that in themselves are done in cooling environments , like swimming ( hot weather is probably the one time you want the pool to feel cool) , walks in the woods , or Tai Chi in a shaded park. And don't try to do as much exercise as you normally would.
3. Hydrate on the outside too!
Cooling the skin , and removing the excess salts from sweating are important to combat Fatigue and stop infections and broken skin.
Get some empty spritz bottles , fill with water ( I use sparkling mineral water ) cool them in the fridge. Use to spray your neck ( best place to cool your body overall not the head!) , feet , hands and painful joints during the day , especially when you are on the beach or walking alot.
Keep it in your bag with a little flannel or cloth to dab off the excess during the day. Have one by your bed at night.
Have cool but not cold showers if you sweat alot or feel you are overheating. Use ice packs in a cloth and dab over your body if you are suffering.
Wear cool , loose, light clothes and use cool bedding from natural fibres , but keep a jacket , cardigan or socks with you as sometimes as evening hits you can be quickly affected by the temperature change.
Moisturise , especially in between toes and areas that rub , then let it dry to stop skin chaffing .
Use a good sun lotion and put it on regularly through the day , especially remember your ears and just under any straps or ends of clothing . Use lip balm and a hat. Those areas burn more easily , the worst thing after dehydration for heat intolerance is heat stroke and sun burn.
4. Emergency bag
Not strictly a bag but things to have with you which are in your handbag , or carried by your favourite essential , your version of the Hairy Henchman!
Have a bag containing medications you need in the day , your spritz , a light scarf ( lots of uses) , a hand fan, bug spray and antihistamine cream , whichever antihistamine you use , vaseline mini tin , waterproof plasters, some antiseptic wipes. Covers all eventualities.
If you get bites or chaff your skin the vaseline can be spread on , left to dry and you can continue , it stops dirt getting in cuts or bites and is semi waterproof so good on these things if you go swimming too.
A foldable chair and towel ( hence the henchman ) take these out to use anywhere Sitting on the sand , a wall , or the grass is beyond you , it causes more discomfort and that makes you overheat more.
An Emergency Oasis List!! with items from a quick internet search of the best places to stop into in the heat for a cuppa or an ice cream. A gallery or cool museum . Try Trip Advisor before your go anywhere .
It can turn a necessary rest into a shared memory for everyone. Look up stuff in your own area too , one silver lining I found of having a Chronic illness was I discovered places close to home that I never knew existed that I can relax in even on days when it doesn't feel as hot outside as the farts of a demon hoarde on curry night!
Finally , Sleep , Eat , Repeat!
When you can , anytime you need to just have a drink before you drop off to stop a headache.
Wear cool clothes , use sheets so you feel cosy but not too hot .
Have your room well ventilated but without a draught on you . Don't use noisy fans that make you feel like you are sleeping in the hanger at Gatwick . These may cool your room but cause poor quality sleep and you wake up headachy next day.
Oddly , getting out of bed and having a little potter in your room for five minutes cools you down more than hours of blown air.
Half an hour before bed have a cool shower or spritz with your bottle then rub peppermint lotion or something like biofreeze or Dermacool into your feet , wrists and shoulders .
Use behind the neck , ears and on your temples if you are overheating , Vicks can also work , and these are also good to reduce pins and needles of nerve pain and heat induced migraines .
Do not give up drinking in the evening and have something to drink as you settle in bed , it helps reduce the stinging in your feet and fingers . Just face it going to the loo more is part of the course with PMR , Joint and Chronic Pain and the upside is a fully functioning bladder reduces those UTI s!!
Eat light small meals , even if you go out on the town , eat a big treat you will wish you hadn't later ! Have lots of variety in fruit and vegetables , eat more seafood as the mineral content is helpful in hot weather.
Don't forget your vitamin / mineral supplement , you need it in the heat as much as when you have an infection.
Cook food early in the day before the weather heats up to eat chilled, or quickly warm up , later in the day , as being in a stuffy kitchen is a terrible form of torture that should only be reserved for Bad Doctors and Politicians !
Actually , if you can shed the responsibility of preparing all meals in hot weather to the young , the healthy and the foolish . Even if the kitchen is your usual domain , in hot weather it shouldn't be , teach them to fend for themselves , even if that means catering involves a trip to the ice cream van.
Find , and remember all the tips you can that work for you then repeat everytime the sun tries to fry the Earth , and you, extra crispy , then you feel more sunny side up when the temperature soars.
So , this ended up being more like a book than a post , but at least in the future if you see anyone ask this question you can send them to this post and they can hopefully find hot weather hope too.
Most importantly though...
Enjoy the weather , don't dread it !
And , as with anytime or season of the year with Chronic Illness , PMR , Fibro or any other health issue , " Go with the Flow ! ".
No plan is worth getting all hot and bothered about , especially when you are already hot and bothered.
Keep safe and Be cool PMR Posse , Chilling ..... Bee aka Bleary eyed xxx
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