Managing Temperature Changes

When a person has orthostatic problems, their body often does not do well adjusting to different temperatures. It can be oversensitive to outside temperatures, like heat and cold. It also has trouble adjusting the temperature and feeling of hot and cold inside the body.

Some of the temperature issues can be avoided. Some cannot - we have to go outside sometimes when it is hot or cold. Some of the changes are unexpected.

Sometimes, trying to correct for one extreme, the body can over-adjust and swing to the opposite temperature.

 

CASE: The outside temperature had turned hot, it was over 90 degrees and humid. Ms C got very warm and started to feel really sick even when she wasn't standing up.. She tried to cool off with an ice packet to the back of her neck and top of her head. Then she put one on her stomach. After about 20 minutes, she was very cold, shivering.

Her hands and feet felt cold. She took the ice packs off and switched to warm, "squishies" on her feet and stomach until her body temperature felt ok.

 

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