| A friend once joked that I was solar powered because of the way my face beamed while sitting in the sunshine. But now, spending too much time in the heat can make me groggy and feel like I'm burning up. Since getting infected with Covid that turned into long Covid more than three years ago, I've had to be careful about doing what used to be everyday activities, in case it leads to post-exertional malaise. And although I've been able to regain some aspects of my life — I'm now able to occasionally host dinner parties again — hot weather can make me sluggish instead of sparkly.
A large percentage of people who have long Covid also suffer from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), according to David Putrino, Nash family director of the Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness. Individuals with this condition will often struggle to maintain a stable heart rate or stable blood pressure as they change position. Heat causes blood vessels to widen, in a process known as vasodilation, which helps your body to release heat in hot weather. But for someone who has POTS, vasodilation can lower blood pressure and can cause even more blood to pool in the lower extremities in the legs. This can lead to dizziness, lightheadedness and also increased fatigue because there's not as much blood and fluids circulating around in the body, Putrino tells me. Another factor to consider is that when we sweat, we're losing electrolytes, which are minerals that are necessary for the body to function. "Heat is a physical stressor," Putrino says, adding that our sweat glands are working overtime on a hot day. This leads to dehydration but it's even more pronounced for people with POTS, who can dehydrate really easily and lose electrolytes much faster than healthy people, Putrino says. For someone who has long Covid but perhaps doesn't have POTS, they may have mitochondrial dysfunction, which means their body now struggles to produce enough energy for their daily activities. In hot weather, it's extra work for the body to maintain homeostasis. "For some of the most commonly underlying drivers of long Covid such as mitochondrial dysfunction and autonomic dysfunction, heat is a real trigger," he says. So what kind of strategies could someone with long Covid employ to deal with the hot weather? Putrino suggests getting a fan or being in a room with air conditioning, if possible. Keeping the curtains drawn and the ventilation going can also help. He notes that many people also benefit from ice packs and cold compresses to keep the body temperature in a range that isn't causing physiological changes. "Hydration is key," Putrino says, adding that it's important to be drinking large volumes of fluids enriched with electrolytes to replace the electrolytes that are lost during sweating, instead of drinking just water. I've been drinking a lot of coconut water lately, which contains electrolytes including potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium, and seems to be helping with energy levels. And although I still enjoy sunshine on a warm day, my body will be glad for the cooler weather to continue. — Lisa Pham
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment