If you have MS and
We have also found that people with MS may also not be able to control their body temperature as efficiently as people without MS, as they only start sweating at a higher body temperature than people without MS.
While there isn't as much data on cold intolerance for MS as there is with heat, many of us do suffer from cold related symptoms. Make sure to dress warmer, keep consistent temperatures, eat soup and drink warm beverages and check your vitamin D to help manage these symptoms and overcome the cold.
For example, MS may interfere with the signals to your sweat glands that help you cool down in hot temperatures, causing you to feel overheated. Likewise, cold or cool temperatures can also cause symptoms to worsen.
In some cases, there is a lesion in a part of the brain that controls temperature regulation in the body. Other people might have a lesion in a brain area that should respond to decreased temperature, for example, by initiating shivering so that you warm up again. Without this response, you still feel cold.
The effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) are different for everyone. You may feel heat, cold, stinging, trembling, numbness, stiffness, spasms, itchiness, or unusual sensations.
Fatigue. Occurs in about 80% of people, can significantly interfere with the ability to function at home and work, and may be the most prominent symptom in a person who otherwise has minimal activity limitations.
These include fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency, muscular dystrophy (MD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), migraine, hypo-thyroidism, hypertension, Beçhets, Arnold-Chiari deformity, and mitochondrial disorders, although your neurologist can usually rule them out quite easily.
This fungal infection may cause the nails to become thick, separate from the nail bed, and appear discolored. According to one study, onychomycosis is slightly more common in people diagnosed with MS than it is in the general population.
This is how MS-related head pressure feels to a few MyMSTeam members: “It feels as if my head has a tight band around it and is being squeezed very tightly.” “It's a weird pressure, tightness … almost fizzing, and a fuzzy, brain fog feeling.”
Conclusion. People living with MS can face additional challenges with seasonal changes. Winter, with its lower temperatures, can lead to difficulties in walking, the use of hands or spasms. Yet, one must also pay attention to high temperatures when inside, as heat can worsen MS symptoms such as fatigue.
While many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a reduced sweating response, there are several reports of patients who experience severe bouts of hot flashes and night sweats.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the effects of heat on people with MS were used in the diagnosis of the condition. The hot bath test involved lying in a bath of warm water. If this caused or worsened neurological symptoms, it was taken as evidence that the person had multiple sclerosis.
Research has shown that people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) tend to have a higher body temperature, possibly due to inflammation related to RRMS. Although not necessarily fever, elevated body temperature in people with RRMS has been linked to worsening general and physical fatigue.
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a rare chronic disease that happens when your immune system attacks specific parts of your central nervous system. Experts previously thought this was a rare type of multiple sclerosis (MS) but now recognize it's a separate condition.
Sarcoidosis is another inflammatory autoimmune disease that shares some symptoms with MS, including fatigue and decreased vision. But sarcoidosis most commonly affects the lungs, lymph nodes, and skin, causing a cough or wheezing, swollen lymph nodes, and lumps, sores, or areas of discoloration on the skin.
Lupus and Other Autoimmune Diseases
Several autoimmune diseases have symptoms that mimic those of MS. An autoimmune disease is one in which your immune system attacks your body's tissues and organs. One of the more common autoimmune conditions is lupus.
What Does MS Feels Like? A lack of feeling or a pins-and-needles sensation can be the first sign of nerve damage from MS. It usually happens in your face, arms, or legs, and on one side of your body. It tends to go away on its own.
MS dizziness and vertigo is likely to make you feel nauseous. Many people with MS experience symptoms related to digestion, including dyspepsia, which causes an uncomfortable feeling of fullness and bloating along with pain. Digestive problems can also lead to nausea. MS bowel problems can leave you feeling queasy.
While there are no definitive blood tests for diagnosing MS, they can rule out other conditions that may mimic MS symptoms, including Lyme disease, collagen-vascular diseases, rare hereditary disorders, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
A multiple sclerosis (MS) self-assessment cannot diagnose MS, but it may help a person understand their symptoms and know when to contact a doctor. An MS self-assessment may focus on energy levels, physical sensations, vision problems, and more.