Cold Intolerance By The Polio Patients
Feet of many polio survivors always remain cold to the touch. With age they become more sensitive to pain with the decrease in temperature. At 68º F their motor nerves function as if they were at 50º F. The strength of hand muscles also decreases with cold.
The body's thermostat and the part that controls the body's inner environment get affected during the poliovirus infection. The nerves of the spinal cord also get affected. So when the outside temperature drops the warm blood flows to the surface of the skin resulting in excessive loss of heat and cooling of the limbs. When the limbs cool, veins narrow and trap the blood in the capillaries. This causes the feet to look blue. The motor nerves don’t work well as a result they contract less efficiently. Cold also chills tendons and ligaments (like putting a rubber band in the freezer), leading to their stiffness. The skin sometimes can get bluish in color. The movement of weak muscles become all the more difficult. A completely opposite situation happens in the cold during a hot bath. Heat causes the arteries to relax, and the oxygenated blood rushes to the skin. It becomes bright red. It can happen that if the person gets out of the bathtub the blood can suddenly pool in the legs and can cause a drop in blood pressure. This can cause dizziness or even fainting. As the age increases pooling of blood in the legs can cause swelling too. What can we do to keep warm? There is no way out other than to treat to treat the symptoms of this cold intolerance i.e. the management of cold intolerance is symptomatic. There is no known cure.
Lifestyle adjustments can help you to get some relief. One needs to stay warm all the time. One can hold on to the body heat with warm socks and layers of clothing. It would be better to wear three thin layers than one thick layer.The first layer is the thermal base layer. This layer can be of synthetic fibres. They are typically lightweight, machine washable and fast drying. Silk can be one of the options. Silk is soft and has luxurious feel. It has thermal properties. It is light. The second layer has to be cozy and light weight which can lock the warmth into the body.The third layer has to be breathable. It should also be loose fitting to allow easy movement. Socks should also be worn in layers if possible.
Your neck region is also very important. Wear a turtleneck or high neck. Caps, mittens, gloves and scarves can be worn during the bitter cold days.
While sitting on a chair or recliner feet must be elevated. Heating blankets can also be used. When your muscles are warm, you not only feel better, you are also able to move and function with more ease and efficiency.
