In many people with MS, being overheated slows down the messages passing along nerves, which have already been damaged by the loss of myelin and this gives rise to increased symptoms. In some cases, there's a lesion in a part of the brain that controls temperature regulation in the body.
An elevated temperature further impairs the ability of a demyelinated nerve to conduct electrical impulses. Activities including sunbathing, exercise, and taking very hot showers or baths can have the same effect.
Many people with MS find that their symptoms get worse in the heat. This can be triggered by hot baths, the sun, or exercise. The effects of heat are temporary, but heat sensitivity can be extremely unpleasant.
Heat sensitivity or Uhthoff's phenomenon occurs in 60–80% of MS patients [1], where increases in core body temperature as little as ~ 0.5°C can trigger temporary symptoms worsening.
MS causes nerves to lose their myelin sheath, making them more vulnerable to heat and temperature changes. Heat exposure can cause or heighten fatigue, numbness, blurry vision, tremor, confusion, imbalance, and weakness. This is a pseudo-exacerbation as symptoms typically dissipate once the body is cooled.
The bottom line
An increase in body temperature is more likely to cause this effect than a decrease in body temperature. Humidity can also be part of the equation. For this reason, some people with MS relocate to mixed-dry or cold climates to help manage their symptoms.
Heat slows down transmission in these damaged nerves, so when someone with MS experiences a rise in core body temperature due to exercise or a fever, the impaired electrical conduction in those thin patches of myelin may disrupt the flow enough to cause problems such as temporary muscle weakness, fatigue, and vision ...
To be a true exacerbation, the attack must last at least 24 hours and be separated from the previous attack by at least 30 days. Most MS exacerbations last from a few days to several weeks or even months.
The connection between vitamin D and MS is strengthened by the association between sunlight and the risk of MS . The farther away from the equator a person lives, the higher the risk of MS . Sunlight is the body's most efficient source for vitamin D — suggesting that exposure to sunlight may offer protection from MS .
The worsening symptoms are usually temporary, and extreme temperatures do not cause lasting damage to people with MS. Severe MS symptoms occur more commonly in the heat than in the cold. About 20% of people with MS experience worsening neurological symptoms in cold weather.
Many people living with multiple sclerosis find that heat can make their symptoms worse. While it's common to experience a flare-up of symptoms when hot, the effect is temporary and should calm down when you're cool again.
The most common treatment regimen is a three or five-day course of intravenous (Solu-Medrol® - methylprednisolone) or oral (Deltasone® - prednisone) corticosteroids. Corticosteroids are not believed to have any long-term benefit on the disease.
Those with heat intolerance may have a disorder called dysautonomia that affects their autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system helps regulate automatic functions of the body, including the body's response to heat. Several medical conditions can cause dysautonomia, including: diabetes.
Despite having a similar core temperature to those without MS while resting and exercising, people with MS show a significantly reduced sweat response.
Multiple sclerosis symptoms typically won't send you to the emergency department, but there may be instances when you need care quickly. Symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (MS) are rarely life threatening, but they can be painful and frightening — and may lead you to consider a trip to the hospital.
A remission can last for weeks, months, or, in some cases, years. But remission doesn't mean you no longer have MS. MS medications can help reduce the chances of developing new symptoms, but you still have MS. Symptoms will likely return at some point.
It's also common early on in the disease to experience long intervals between relapses. Later, as MS progresses, people may have difficulty with tremors, coordination, and walking. They may find that their relapses become more frequent, and that they are less able to recover from them.
MS lesions occur in areas of the brain responsible for the control and regulation of body temperature and thermoregulatory effector responses, resulting in impaired neural control of sudomotor pathways or neural-induced changes in eccrine sweat glands, as evidenced by observations of reduced sweating responses in MS ...
When you have MS, even a small rise in body temperature -- about 0.5 degrees F -- can make your symptoms worse. Lots of things can cause this, including warm weather, hot showers, a heavy meal, and exercise. Heat-related symptoms aren't harmful and go away as soon as you cool down.
Answer one is January. In modern times, the first month of the year traditionally reaches the coldest temperatures. Are you old enough to remember Jan. 21, 1985, when it was 4 degrees Fahrenheit?
However, a recent meta-analysis concluded that vitamin D supplementation (low or high dose) did not significantly affect disability and relapse rate in MS patients during treatment [63].