Does heat bother you? It bothers many of us. Don't be suprised if you feel comfortable on warm days though. Some people begin to feel uncomfortable when the thermostat says 75 - 80 degrees. Tolerance to heat varies as much as any other symptom of multiple sclerosis.

Ways to beat the heat vary in the price range because of the costs of purchasing equipment or materials. Call your local electric company to see if they have price breaks that are income dependant. If you use air conditioning (or heat in the winter), call the supplier and ask if they have an increased allowance for disabled people. This second program is usually not income dependant.

Try using cool wet washcloths or small towels at the back of your neck and knees, on your forehead, at the bend of your elbows and at your wrists. If you can be in a private place, you can place them where your legs meet your tummy (the groin) too. Your blood runs close to the surface in these places and you can cool it a little using this method. Take your shoes and socks off and place your feet on something cool.

Fans work. It's best if you don't let them blow directly on you but let them stir the air around you. Rest time is great when the fan is moving the air above your body. If your skin in sensitive and the moving air hurts, your fan is not aimed high enough.

Have you ever tried taking your bath or shower in the heat of the day? Air drying the vast areas of exposed skin feels cool and lowers your body temperature a little. Towel dry the skin folds and between your toes. Staying damp in these places could cause open, irritated skin and are ideal places for bacterial, yeast for fungal infections to develop.

Avoid blow drying your hair with heat! Have you ever wondered shy your head sweats a lot when you are hot? It's natures way of cooling you off. When you wash your hair, just towel out the drips and let nature dry it for you. If you don't mind a wet head any you're really hot, try using water in a spray bottle to help nature out a little.

While you have the spray bottle out, spray exposed skin on your legs and arms. You want to look as though the dew has just found you laying in the grass and not like a giant drip. Use distilled water in your spray bottle to help avoid those infections. Change the water at least twice a day and wash your bottle daily, including running hot soapy water through the tube and head of the spray assembly. That's not hard. Before putting dishes in your dish water, stick the tube in the clean soapy water and squirt a few times. Follow that with doing the same in a glass of clean hot water to rinse the soap out of the mechanism.

All of this water use may dry your skin. Locate a lotion that does not list alcohol among its first three ingredients. Something that is alcohol free is best. Use the lotion all over after bathing and you are dry. It is also helpful to use it two or more times a day on the areas that you are spraying with water as a cooling measure. Do not use rubbing alcohol to cool down unless instructed to do so by a physician. It is very drying to the skin.

Discuss the items in this last section with your physician before spending your money on an item that may not be proper for your use. Remember, we are all different and need to use items that are safe for us as well as cost effective.

Some pharmacies and medical supply houses have ice packs that are cooled in the freezer and remain somewhat pliable. The ones sold by a pharmacy may cost a little less but the ones sold by medical supply houses sometimes last longer. (It's up to you to choose the ones made of durable materials.) These must be carefully used ant not placed directly on the skin. They must be wrapped in towels to prevent burning of the skin. The thickness of the wrap depends on your tolerance to the cold and your physicians instructions. If you can not place and remove these packs yourself, you should not be left alone while the packs are in use. Your skin under them should be checked at least every five minutes to prevent skin damage. (The same warnings stand for homemade ice packs.)

There are items available such as cool caps, vests and jackets. You may see them advertised in magazines directed toward the disabled community. Call or send for literature on the item that interests you and take it with you to your physician. If you decide together that this item may benefit you, follow the instructions carefully and watch your skin for reactions to the cold.

If all else fails, go to the nearest park and play in the fountain with the children!

Many people with multiple sclerosis feel cold in any weather. Extremities are the most vulnerable. If your own hands have a loss of sensation, have someone else check the warmth of the skin in the area. When the skin feels warm to the touch, don't worry about it. But read on because there will be some things to help you in this article. If the skin feels cold or excessively warm or there is pain or discoloration, call your doctor! There could be serious circulation problems that must be checked.

Now some suggestions on warming up those frigid digits. Put on some thick socks. Use the long ones in the daytime. The short ones meant to be worn in tennies are good for in bed because they don't become twisted around the ankles and cut off the circulation. Use an electric blanket at night with one other blanket on top of it to hold the heat in. Set your electric blanket at the lowest comfortable temperature so that the heat does not make you weak. You can always warm up a little and then turn it down. Better yet, turn it on several minutes before going to bed so that the bed is toasty when you get in!

Wear warm clothing. These days, sweats can be worn almost anywhere. Buy them in a size that allows them to bunch up a little at the ankle and wrist. Layer your clothes so that you can take some off as you warm up. Wear knit gloves when it's not necessary to use your hands for dexterity. You can also put gloves on for just long enough to warm up your fingers and then take them off if they bother you. When in your home and whenever comfortable for you, wear moccasins or slippers lined with fleece.

Keep the thermostat in your home set between 70 and 75 degrees. Wrap your legs in a blanket or bath blanket whenever you are sitting down. Even a pretty flannel sheet works for this! Store an afghan and an extra sweatshirt in the car for those times you forget to take one with you. Using a heating pad is not a good idea because it can burn too easily if you do not move it often. If you must use one, set it on low and turn it off after 20 minutes. Most docs will limit the use of a household heating pad to 20 minutes. You can also use an electric heater in the rooms you use the most to keep them a little warmer than you do the rest of the house. The advantage to this is that just the room you are in can be kept warmer and it is less costly than gas heat.

If all else fails, cuddle up with a warm friend in front of a fireplace with a good movie and your favorite wine.

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