Wheelchair User Guide: Keeping Cool In The Florida Heat

PSA
This blog post isn't sponsored by any company or product. I found all of these items, myself. Given my experience as a quad-amputee, I believe that these items may be particularly useful for disabled people, like myself. These opinions are mine, alone, which aren't reflective of Custom Mobility, or any other entity. Lastly, I'm not a medical professional.

Because of our typically wonderful weather, along with our many beaches and lakes, Florida is a popular vacation destination for both spring and summer. During that time, whether you're disabled or not, the heat impacts everybody. For people with certain disabilities, increased temperatures can have a negative effect on our bodies. Some diagnoses have a more difficult time with thermoregulation, meaning that it's either difficult or impossible for us to regulate our body temperature. In other words, it can be easier for people, with certain diagnoses, to experience both hypothermia (from temperatures that are too low) and hyperthermia (from temperatures that are too high). These diagnoses include, but aren't limited to:

• Neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis
• Spinal cord injury, particularly if the injury occurred above the T6 vertebrae
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Stroke
• Brain stem lesions
• Hypothyroidism
• Diabetes
• Severe dehydration
• Amputee
• Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
• Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) 

Additionally, there are a variety of medications that impact the body's ability to thermoregulate, including:

• Anti-psychotics
• Opioids
• Anesthetic agents (these include medications that are typically used for surgical or medical procedures)
• Anticholinergic medications (used to reduce involuntary muscle movements, like spasms, for conditions like COPD and Parkinson's disease)
• Anti-hypertensive medications (often used to lower high blood pressure)

For everybody, whether you experience disability or not, our lowest body temperatures typically occur around 4:00 a.m., while our highest body temperatures typically occur around 6:00 p.m. If you have a diagnosis that impacts your ability to thermoregulate, it could be a good idea to make plans around these times.

In relation to warmer temperatures, people with the aforementioned disabilities are at a higher risk of heatstroke. A form of hyperthermia, heatstroke can happen when the body's  temperature is greater than 104°F. It can result in a number of problems, prohibiting the function of vital organs, and can include symptoms like dry and hot skin, as well as convulsions, delirium, and/or coma. A person can experience a heatstroke from either over-exerting themselves, or in individuals, who are typically elderly, as well as people with a variety of diagnoses, such as: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, renal disease, hypertension, dementia, and alcoholism.

Lastly, I think it's important to briefly go over the impact of moisture collection, i.e. sweat. To stay combat higher temperatures or physical exertion, our bodies sweat as a way to cool off and prevent instances of hyperthermia. This can impact disabled people in a few, different ways. For people who have the ability to sweat, it's important to engage in pressure relief. Sweat can get trapped between the skin and seat cushions, seat backs, lateral supports, and the list goes on. Without relieving that area of pressure, or giving skin the chance to breath, the trapped moisture can cause skin breakdown, including sores. When individuals don't have the ability to sweat, their bodies lack an important means for cooling down. This limitation can cause people, for example those with SCI, to overheat significantly quicker than usual. Not only is it easier for overheating to occur, but it's also more difficult to bring the bodies temperature back down to a comfortable temperature. 

How Can We Keep Cool During Florida's Spring/Summer Seasons?

Now that I've explained the risks associated with overheating, especially for disabled people, what now? Well, I figure that it's the perfect opportunity to talk about some techniques and products, which can prevent things like hyperthermia, and help you stay cool! 

Before we get started, I want to point out something that's very important: staying hydrated. While this obviously refers to drinking water, it's also important to make sure that your skin is also hydrated. This process can be a balancing act because trapped moisture can cause skin breakdown, especially for skin that isn't exposed to the air. So, please be mindful of that. While we are on the subject of hydration, I found an interesting water bottle, from Dick's Sporting Goods, that you can use for drinking and misting yourself down.

Companies, like Polar Products, have guides for people who have heat intolerant conditions. Sources like this can be a treasure trove of information and, like this blog post, can hopefully send you in the right direction. If you are looking for wearable cooling items, they offer a number of options, including cooling pack vests, water activated vests/accessories, and even higher-end, circulating cold water systems. These products are great for people who don't have an aversion to wearing extra clothing. Also, while some of these items may be lightweight, others may not. Before making a purchase, make sure to check how the added weight could impact your comfort, as well as the way you move your body.

If you're looking for wearable products that cover different parts of your body, there are a few companies that make a variety of cooling accessories. For example, frogg toggs makes a number of different cooling hats, towels, hoodies, bandanas, neck/lower-face coverings, and even face masks. Some of these products also offer UV protection, which can come in handy, in addition to using sunscreen. ergodyne is another company that makes cooling products, like those I mentioned above; however, they seem to make heavier-duty products, including fans, designed for people who work outside. These products can certainly be useful for people with more sensitive, heat intolerant conditions.

Lastly, and briefly, it can be incredibly helpful to have a personal fan. While some are easier to transport or carry around, others are better suited to be placed in a single spot. The advantage of a portable model is pretty obvious, especially if you're an active person, who enjoys the outdoors. I found a variety of misting fans on Amazon, so take a look through them, and maybe you'll find something useful!

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that everybody use sunscreen that has the strength SPF 30 or higher. So, please make sure to apply it throughout the day. During prolonged exposure to sunlight, it's also very important to protect your eyes. When buying sunglasses, make sure to purchase a pair that promise 100% UV protection. You should look for labels that offer UV protection of at least "400nm." While polarized sunglasses reduce glare, it's important to remember that polarization, alone, won't provide UV protection. 

Hopefully, this information has been helpful to you. If you live here in Florida, or you're planning to visit during the spring/summer, I hope that this blog post has given you some useful information and helpful tips! Stay safe out there, and have a fantastic summer!

Author:
Kyle Romano