posted
My fiancee is growing more frustrated with her inability to stay outdoors for long periods of time (more than a an hour or two) on warm (75+ degrees) sunny days.
After about two hours, she starts to feel nauseous. She alternates between hot and cold sweating, and gets dizzy. Her head begins to ache, in what she describes as a sharp headache that seems to spread throughout the front of her head.
She has tried a few things to limit this - high SPF sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, drinking lots of fluids (water and gatorade), making sure she has eaten "safe" food that she never feels nauseous with...
Yet, nothing seems to solve the problem. Worse, she feels frustrated with herself that she can't do things outdoors that other people have no problem with. For instance, enjoy herself a daytime sporting event.
Getting out of the sun into a shady area seems to help until she tries to go back out into the sun. Over time, periodic breaks in the shade stop working altogether.
Even spending an hour or so cleaning out her car started to get to her, to the point that she had to go inside and lay down in air conditioning.
Any thoughts what might cause this, or what she might try to do? It's quickly getting to the point where she's resigning herself to a life indoors.
I'm asking here because she currently doesn't have medical insurance in NJ (she has HIP in NY) and can't easily get to a doctor for a consultation.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Has she recently started any new medications? There are several which increase sun sensitivity.
I'm no professional medico, so of course the best recommendation is a doctor visit, difficult as it may be.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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No, no new medications. This has been happening for a couple of years, to my knowledge.
I was looking online, and it seems that the symptoms of "Heat Intolerance" are pretty close to what she gets - though I haven't found any real insight into what can be done to prevent it.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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She should go to a doctor. One of the first things on the web about heat intolerance is that it can be associated with excessive thyroid levels. This is not the sort of thing you can address without going to a doctor. (I'm not trying to make a diagnosis, but when it's a POSSIBLE cause, and anyway she doesn't like living with it, it just makes sense to get evaluated.)
Or, look into refrigerated underwear. err, make that "look for."
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Yeah, having had thyroid problems myself (both extremes of hyper and hypo at different times in my life) this was the first thing I thought of.
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
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I'm not sure, but tell her she's not alone! I always thought I was just crazy! The headaches she's describing are identical to mine.
This started for me when I was in my teens, how long has she had it? If she finds out what it is, please let us know. I am rather afraid of doctors, and don't like going in without a good idea of what's wrong to being with. Thanks@
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Jun 2006
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