Heat can affect Islanders with disabilities, but health officials have tips to manage it

Prince Edward Islanders have been dealing with more heat waves in recent years, and that can affect some people more than others.

Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.'s chief public health officer, said warmer termeratures can be a danger to everyone, but people with certain conditions can find it even more of a challenge to cool off.

"Certain chronic conditions, heart-related illnesses, respiratory illnesses, they'll feel the impacts and have that difficulty regulating themselves and [trying[ to cool down," Morrison said. 

Young children and people taking certain types of medications can also affected be susceptible to the heat, she said. 

"If you're on certain medications, it would be good to know if those medications put you more at risk of sunburn or impact your ability to really cool down," Morrison said.

"It's important that caregivers are aware that infants, young children in particular, are dependant on older adults to make decisions for them and make sure that they're getting enough water and recognize when they're getting hot."

'Making a difficult situation worse'

Shauna Brady, a registered nurse who works in Alberta with patients who have multiple sclerosis, said heat can make the disease's symptoms temporarily worsen.

MS is a chronic, often debilitating illness that causes the body to attack its own nerve fibres. It primarily affects the brain and spinal cord. 

"The theory with heat, particularly with those with MS, is that as the temperature increases, that speed of nerve conduction decreases... or slows down," Brady said.

"It essentially requires your brain and spinal cord to work harder to kind of get those signals up and down and those messages transferred. So it's essentially making a difficult situation worse."

Brady said there are some warning signs of overheating that caregivers of MS patients can look out for.

"It could exacerbate things like blurred vision, definitely fatigue, cognitive difficulties even, so decreased processing speed, attention, memory may also be affected," she said.

"Muscle weakness, numbness, and just kind of slowed reaction times in general."

Recommendations to combat the heat

Brady said she's found many ways to help prevent those at risk from exposure to heat.

"Simple things, like avoiding unnecessary heat in general... so like hot showers, saunas, hot tubs."

Air conditioning, cold water, cold packs and spray misting bottles are other simple tools to help someone cool down. 

"Staying hydrated for sure is a simple one. Taking cooler showers if you need to take a shower, using cooling garments," she said.

"Light, layered clothing is another tool that works too, because that way you can... take it off as you get warm."

But while the heat might be oppressive, Brady said it's important for people with MS to continue doing physical activities.

"We definitely encourage... exercise," she said. "Not to be afraid of it, but just kind of have some of these tools in your tool belt on knowing ways to help manage it."