Summer Sickness

[Latekin]

Anyone else find they just get sick more often in Summer?
Every Summer for the last 4/5 years I find that when the heat rolls in, up pops the nausea, the painful skin, my migraines get more frequent, ect. Pretty horrible, basically.
Not dehydration, apparently. Thanks doc!

Anyone else ever get this? Not looking for medical advice or anything, but it'd be comforting to know I'm not the only one who's incredibly heat prone. Especially since I live in a country pretty prone to insane temperatures.

[KuariKaydrith]

In the summer I tend to stay indoors a lot - the heat really bothers me, and I'm allergic to the sun (photo-dermatitis). I have to use sunscreen whenever I leave the house if there is a chance of the sun coming out. I live for cloudy days, I swear! People tend to think I'm nuts for covering up more when it's sunny and bright, even after explaining my weird allergy. I tend to lose weight in the summer due to nausea brought on by the heat and general blech. And I am one of those folks who get depressed in the summer instead of the winter...maybe because I know that I cannot enjoy leaving my house like so many other people can.

[Seshat]

Assuming that you're meaning 30oC and higher - oh yes, absolutely. Not the exact same symptoms, but yes. In my case, I'm told it's at least partly the fibromyalgia.

Some of your symptoms seem heatstroke-y to me. Get your doctor to provide you with the symptom list for heatstroke, and become prepared for cooling your core body temperature.

Note for those who think in farenheit: Summer temperatures in Australia frequently reach and/or exceed human body temperature (37oC, approx). So to answer Latekin, think about what happens to you when it's so hot your body can't shed excess heat.

[morgana]

Oh, hells, yeah. I'd be dead if it weren't for air conditioning. If the temp's over 85F, I don't even go outside. Dizzy, heart palpatations,

[Tama]

I just try not to go outside if I can help it. And God forbid I get hungry in the heat, that makes me feel WORSE.

[Gizmo]

Yep. Me too. Partly Fibro and partly not doing well with the brighter sun. Also I burn so easily and have to watch for heatstroke a lot.

[BlaqueKatt]

my migraines get more frequent,

Histamines can have an effect on migraines, so any allergies(which are generally more frequent in the summer) even if they don't cause traditional symptoms, can affect migraines.

[MoonCat]

Nope, I actually feel worse in the winter. Inside it's too dry, outside it's too cold (and dry). I get muscle aches from trying to walk through heavy snow and across the ice without falling; my eyes are extremely sensitive to cold and wind, which means they tear up constantly when I'm outside, and when freezing wind hits them it feels like someone just hit me in the ice with an iceball. I get more headaches, too. My skin is dry and itchy. And of course there's colds and flu (I got a flu shot but it turns out that's only about 50% protection this year).

[Latekin]

Ergh, so 39oC today in my suburb. Guess who nearly passed out at work?

Did nine hours on the floor with a migraine being held at bay with some really, really crappy painkillers. Right now, I'm sore as hell, and really, really want my partner to get home. Blearg.

[XCashier]

Temperature extremes in either direction can make a person miserable, very sick or even kill you. Take care of yourself and keep alert for signs of illness. If you start feeling rough, don't try to push yourself.

[Tama]

I don't tolerate either heat or cold very well...if I could live where it was 65° all year with little to no humidity I'd move there.

[Cazzi]

I don't tolerate heat very well either. The hotter it gets, the more pain I get & various bits start swelling

[Tama]

I just have a hard time breathing and start feeling dizzy and shit. I hate summer.

[Seshat]

Ergh, so 39oC today in my suburb. Guess who nearly passed out at work?

37oC is body temperature. We're exothermic reactions: we generate heat. We HAVE to be able to vent heat, or the heat builds up inside our bodies and our various processes start to shut down.

Hopefully your workplace is air conditioned, or has fans and breezeways. If the latter, make sure to position yourself under a fan or near a breezeway frequently.

If you don't have systems to keep your immediate work environment at 35oC or lower (preferably lower), keep a water bottle with you. Don't just drink it, keep your pulse points wet. Wrists, back of your neck, front of your neck (where you can take your pulse), inner elbows, and if you can manage it, back of the knees and the ankles.

At home, if you don't have air conditioning, use old plastic ice cream containers to make big ice blocks. Leave those out on tiles/lino: they'll cool the air and the floor around themselves as they melt. You'll probably also find your pets cooling themselves near them, and drinking the cold water. (We do.)
Also, make breezeways in your home. Even if you don't get much breeze through, every little bit helps.

[Latekin]

Yeah, I have to shake off the old "you don't need a doctor until you're going green and puking a lung" syndrome. Pushing myself is a problem.

Weirdly enough, extremely cold temperatures don't really cause me any issues.
I spent a few winters in Germany, Switzerland and France. Never felt better.

Guess I was born in the wrong country huh?