Weathering the Heat

While many people affected by fibromyalgia prefer spring’s warm weather to the winter cold, the months of summer can sometimes get too hot, triggering or exacerbating a host of fibromyalgia symptoms. Patients often report increased fatigue and pain, disrupted sleep patterns and an inability to cool down during hot weather.

 
These characteristics may be due in part to increased sensitivity often seen in fibromyalgia patients. Recent studies, for example, have suggested that FM patients have generalized disturbance in pain processing and an amplified response to stimuli that would not ordinarily be painful in healthy individuals. More specific to temperature, a study published in October 2008 in the journal Pain showed that fibromyalgia patients experienced greater sensitivity to heat and cold pain stimuli than healthy individuals.

 
Hot weather has also been shown to trigger a number of overlapping conditions often seen in fibromyalgia patients. Many people with multiple sclerosis, for example, experience a temporary worsening of symptoms when the weather is hot or if they get too much sun. Additionally, new research suggests that an increase in temperature may trigger migraines and other severe headaches. Regardless of the time of year, the study showed that for every nine degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature, the risk for a headache increased by 7.5 percent.

 
While individuals who suffer from a chronic condition tend to be more vulnerable to heat-related symptoms and conditions, everyone is at risk when the temperature spikes. In addition, many medicines put people at further risk. According to WebMD, “Some medicines decrease the amount of blood pumped by the heart (cardiac output) and limit blood flow to the skin, so your body is less able to cool itself by sweating. Other medicines can alter your sense of thirst or increase your body's production of heat.” Click here for a list of medications that increase the risk for a heat-related illness.

By taking a few simple steps, you and your family can protect yourself from the effects of the blistering sun. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best defense against heat-related symptoms is prevention. The health agency offers these tips.

• Drink more (nonalcoholic) fluids, regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
  
• Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar. These actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.
  
• Stay indoors and, if at all possible, in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library; even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
  
• Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.
  
• Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.

For more information on heat-related illnesses, click here.