Intolerance to heat?

[Remali]

Man oh man. As I get older I find out so many new things about myself. This year I've discovered that, more than ever, I cannot take any kind of heat.....outdoors or indoors. Maybe it's because I'm, ahem, "older" now. But, I can't do anything outside if it's hot, and if you throw in humidity.....well forget that because I end up getting sick from the heat and humidity. My new summer hobby may have to be water sports! LOL.

But, my dilemma..... places where you work that are warm. You'd think in this day and age most places would have adequate air conditioning.....I'm finding that some just do not!
I've tried to get thru it, but last night at work it was stuffy, and I was so hot that I was dripping with sweat, but worst of all I started getting light-headed and sick feeling. Also, unfortunately, add hot flashes to that (oh yes, I am THAT old now! LOL), and it is pure misery. So.....ladies....any of you with similar issues.....what in the heck do you do?? It's bad enough to deal with the heat, but then to get hot flashes on top of it? I thought I was going to pass out a couple times..... Or, am I the only old bag here who has this problem?! :innocent:

[WashingtonBay]

ME TOO! And I've also blamed it on age, and wondering if I'm having hot flashes on top of it.

Ice water. Cotton, loose clothing. That's all I can recommend so far, for a work environment.

I'm lucky in that I'm at home here, where I can spray myself with the hose when I get overheated. The other thing I do is stick a cold folded, wet hand-towel in the freezer for a little bit (not too long or it becomes a board!) and wrap that around my neck. :)

[Remali]

Isn't it just miserable? Geez..... getting a hot flash on top of being in a warm environment.... it about makes ya keel over.... :doh:

I have to wear long pants at work.... :mad: but I have some very lightweight cotton pants I wear a lot..... they have a polo shirt we have to wear at work, the collar makes me get more warm (I hate collars, I never ever wear tops with collars....), but nothing I can do about the top because it is required at work, we have to wear their polo shirt (give me a t-shirt any day, LOL). I maybe should look for a job where I can work in a freezer.....LOL...

[carla]

I'm with ya on the heat. I HATE to be hot. I don't mind it if I'm, like, horsing around, cutting grass, or doing something else where you're "supposed" to sweat. But I do NOT like to sweat while I'm working with patients or something.

Any time I go into a room to make a bed, help transfer/reposition a patient, or anything else that requires any degree of physical work that lasts for longer than 2-3 minutes, I'm wiping my brow. It's ridiculous. I thank SM and my sweet Grandmother for the wonderful "sweat genes" that they passed onto me, on the regular. :p

Luckily, though, I do not get sick with the heat. If I do it's due to some combined issue ie being hungry or dehydrated. Mostly I just get really irritable and fan myself constantly. LOL. And I swear I also get some degree of hot flashes. In fact, my nurse who I precepted with swore every day I was premenopausal. :D I would just be standing there and it would come over me.. I think some of it was nerves, though- wanting to be OUT of the working-for-free business!

[Remali]

I hate the feeling right when the dang hot flash starts to come over you.....it's like being on fire..... and then I always get a weird pressure headache..... :doh:

[WashingtonBay]

I maybe should look for a job where I can work in a freezer.....LOL...

Wouldn't that be lovely :D

When we used to have the brewery here in town, one of the favorite local secrets was to take a brewery tour on hot days, because they have these wonderful, HUGE walk in coolers where they age the beer. :cool:

Course now lots of places have better air conditioning than when I was growing up.

Can you get one of those plug in portable AC things? Looks like a little heater, but it's AC. Anyone know how well those work?

[carla]

Ooh collars, yes. I just saw that part. My school uniform was good ol' polyester zip-up student top with a wonderful collar. It was miserable when it was hot! Especially in places that have to stay warm, like NICU.. :doh:

[Remali]

Oh wow.....they make portable plug-in ACs?? Neat! Trouble is, I have to walk all over the place at work......so that can't go to work with me..... at least not at this crazy job..... (currently hoping to find another better job)....

[carla]

Well, we could help you figure out some sort of rigging system with a large battery of sorts, and you could carry it around like a big boombox... that would be awesome.

[Miracle Whip]

I sweat at work too, the silly residents keep saying they are COLD, I keep telling them it is JULY and 90 degrees out but they don't listen.

Unless the sweat is really dripping I guess it doesn't bother me, but getting dehydrated does. I can't carry a water bottle with me at work so I have to hit the water fountain periodically and the downstairs fountain is too WARM. I once got so dehydrated that I had lactic acid deposits in my shoulder - not good!!

[Piper522]

If you are at the "age" of hot flashes (like I am) you may want to ask your doctor about hormone patches or something to help regulate your temperature. I wear a hormone patch and I swear that my hot flashes stopped when I started taking it.

Good luck and it is hell getting old! :)

[WashingtonBay]

MW... when I did nursing home visits with my dog, I'd wear shorts or a skirt and a light t-shirt even in winter, because I knew as soon as I got in those places I'd be hot. And they're all sitting there with afghans on their poor knees. So I guess it's an aging curve? We have this heat intolerant period of aging, and than at some point we'll be cranking the heat up and talking about moving to Yuma? Is that how it goes? :)

[quest]

I tend to handle the heat pretty well, however my internship last year and my job at the ranch got VERY hot! I will be going back to the job at the ranch probably for a few weeks next month, around one of the hottest times of year. The best advice I can give you is drink a ton of water and try not to think about the heat. Anytime you get a chance to splash yourself with water is a good time to do so. Those things you wet and stick and the freezer then stick around your neck are also great and i used those a little last year. I always get miserable with cotton, I get sweaty and it doesn't dry so I feel sticky and humid. I really like some of the dri-fit type materials they have started coming out with. I also wear a lot of tank tops and shorts this time of year. As for those in uniforms, the best advice is just to drink a lot of water, cold when you get the chance, and if you can wear one of those neck things, thats great.

[Gypsy Rose]

You also might want to check with your doctor. Some people suffer from large electrolyte losses through urination. I happen to be one of them. The more straight water I drink without replenishing with electrolyte tablets, or sometimes good old fashioned table salt, the more dehydrated I get!

Also, avoid caffeinated drinks, and those with lots of sugar.

[quest]

Yeah electrolytes are good, real electrolytes, not the sugary drink kind work the best. One thing I forgot to mention too, to help prevent nausea in the heat, save your carbs for later. The worst thing you can do is eat a heavy meal before going out in the heat, the nausea would hit me everytime!

[WashingtonBay]

What about the chemical cool neck thingys I've seen advertised? Like these: Cobber Body Cooling Neck Wrap and Neck Buddy Cooling Neck Wrap (http://pages.prodigy.net/volksware/volksware/cobber.htm)

They say you 'start' them by soaking in water, but then they stay cool for days. Do they dry so you could wear them with work clothes and not be 'wet'? Anyone know? The people in the pictures don't 'look' wet, but... ????

[quest]

Thats the neck thingy I was referring to. they have these little "beads" that get real big when soaked with water. I always put them in the fridge/freezer for a little bit since it made them a lot cooler. they generally stay wet for a while, but when i was in Utah they didnt stay cold very long because it was so dry the fabric would dry right up even though the beads inside were still wet, but they definetely help and in Olympia I would imagine they would stay cooler and damper for a bit longer

[WashingtonBay]

Could Remali wear one at work? I mean... on a trail ride, or mowing the lawn or something, I don't mind if my shirt gets a little wet from it, but in an office environment, you wouldn't want that.

[Remali]

Wow, that cool neck thingy sounds just perfect! I should look into it (unless I get another job real quick, I have an interview tomorrow....). What I've found is being indoors where it may be warm and there is no air moving really kills me......at least outdoors there may be a bit of a breeze.....but doing all this physical work in a very warm environment with no moving air (no fans either) is terrible. I wish they had been honest with me about the job, I never would have quit my other job to take this one..... I even called about my foermer job, but my spot has been filled.....

The Patch is a good idea....the doc had me on pills, and they did work, but they get spendy.....is the Patch very expensive, I wonder.....

[FoxFireEMT]

You can blame it on your age all you want, but I'm not too old & I can't handle the heat. I get nauseated so easily in the heat. Me & heat do not get along. I see my horse less in the summer then I do in the winter. Heat just beats the living you know what out of me!

[Remali]

For me the age-related part are the hot flashes.....but then add the hot flashes to the fact that I can't take a lot of heat and humidity..... those two combined about kill me.... :(

[quest]

Yeah, I would try the neck thing, I know the Big R around here sells them

[Remali]

I almost forgot about them......I'll have to make some phone calls and see where I can find one around here. :)

[oursarge]

I have never liked heat, I'd never survive in one of those places where it gets to be over 100, I have the air conditioners on when it hits 70! My perfect temp. is 60-65. I wish it could stay like that all the time. When I get hot I get light headed and sick too, I also get miserable personality wise. My husband said I need a climate controlled bubble since now that I'm older the cold bothers me too. It never used to, winter was my favorite time but now if it's below 30 my hands go numb. The fun of old age!!!! I'd still rather cold than hot though, at least with cold you can add more clothes!

[Miracle Whip]

Hubby used to have a headband with the beads when he worked at the rubber factory. The company gave them to the employees.

I don't know what it is about the blankies but I can tell you that the elderly always want more clothing. One lady wears CORDUROYS plus another pair of pants on top of that, claims it helps her arthritis...yeah right. If I don't give a resident her lap robe, sweater, etc - then they will continue to ask so the housekeeping staff or whomever they can flag down will give them a sweater.

Probably poor circulation. Some of their ankles are like ICE...