Is it hot or cold

Being able to tell the difference between hot and cold is something many take for granted. In fact, it is hardly considered worthwhile mentioning, except that recently this has become a problem for me. For many years, being able to tell the difference has allowed me to make certain decisions such as "should I wear a jersey or not" and "is this water too hot for a bath". Perhaps you can see where this is going.

For the past few months I have had difficulty in determining whether something is too hot or too cold. This is true for most ambient temperatures, whereas I can still tell the difference between boiling and freezing. I first noticed this while I was running a bath for my children. I was on the verge of lowering them into boiling water for slow simmer when, fortunately, my wife came in and casually tested the water. To me the bath water was at a perfect temperature, but my wifes hand turned "cooked lobster red" and required immediate cold water treatment. Imagine what would have happened had I put my 3 year son into this water.

If you suffer from MS then this is something that you must be aware of as of NOW! Biologically, it is easily explained. Your perception of temperature is facilitated due to receptors, in and on various parts of your body, connected by
nerves to your brain. These nerves are high speed nerves, and they have to be because it is part of the body's protection system. Therefore, these nerves are coated in myelin which ensure that the impulses sent are not lost nor altered. Take away the myelin and the message may not get through.

Indeed, the problem with an inability to determine temperature has other knock-on effects. On a hot summer day I suddenly find myself requiring a jersey to stay warm. On another occasion, on a cold winters day, I found myself perspiring. Neither of these are welcome, the former will raise your core body temperature to dangerous levels if it has not already done so, whereas the latter may lead to hypothermia. I doubt any person would like any of these to occur, and granted these are extreme cases, however, the body is a finely balanced machine and little changes can have disastrous results.

I did notice, about 3 years ago, that I was hardly perspiring during the summer. This trend has continued and even now perspiration seldom happens. The result is rapid dehydration and a rapid increase in core body temperature. If you live in a hot climate and suffer from MS, you must ensure that you are never ever without a water bottle by your side. And drink regularly. Remember that your body no longer transmits all the warning signals that should be transmitted.

By proper precautions, MS becomes less problematic.