When exposed to high temperature or humidity, a patient may experience an MS flare up. This multiple sclerosis flare up involves the exacerbation of the patient’s symptoms. In addition to high temperatures, cold temperatures are also notorious for negatively impacting the condition of MS patients. Thus, it is best for MS patients to avoid both extremes of temperature and to make an effort to maintain moderate conditions.
Temperature and the MS Flare Up
While high temperatures cause MS patients to feel worse, these effects are not permanent. The patients feel bad for as long as their body temperatures are elevated. If they manage to get them under control by rehydrating and by cooling the room, then they feel normal again.
The heat could be caused by a variety of factors. Hot weather is a frequent complaint. So is high humidity. Temperature elevation caused by these two factors can ultimately be brought under control by perspiration. However, if the patient is feeling particularly ill or uncomfortable, it might be quicker to expose him or her to cooler temperatures (e.g. by the use of a fan and air conditioner). Note that the fan and air conditioner should not be set at extremely low temperatures. Large fluctuations in temperature (e.g. from a hot environment to a cold one) can also trigger an MS flare up in a patient.
MS patients may also get overheated from engaging in strenuous exercise and not taking the necessary precautions to keep their body temperatures cool. To avoid this, they should avoid strenuous exercises and engage in more moderate exercises instead. They should also exercise for relatively brief periods of time, taking time to rest if they need to. Another precaution they can take entails exercising when it is cooler outside. This may either be in the morning, before the sun is directly overhead, or in the evening, towards sunset. Dressing for the weather is also important, as is drinking plenty of cool fluids to remain hydrated through the day.
The reason why elevated temperature would provoke a patient to develop a multiple sclerosis flare up lies in the state of the nervous tissue. If the disease has progressed significantly, then the patient’s neurons may be demyelinated. The transmission of electrical impulses through the neurons is impaired by demyelination. It also happens that, in high temperature conditions, the ability of the neurons to transmit impulses is impaired even further. Fortunately, the impact of temperature on MS flare ups is temporary. The temperature does not in itself cause demyelination or nerve damage.
