The change of seasons can be particularly difficult for Lyme disease sufferers, and the switch to summer time can take a heavy toll on them.
The change of seasons is usually an exciting time for most people, but for Lyme disease sufferers, it can be particularly difficult. The change to daylight saving time can be very stressful for them, leaving them feeling tired and sluggish. Although the equinox should signify a positive change towards spring and sunshine, the transition can actually be difficult for both healthy and sick people.
“I used to hear the term ‘spring fever’ and assumed it meant I should feel restless and excited about the coming season, like the people I saw running and playing outside. But I just couldn’t muster their energy. For me, spring fever manifested itself as malaise and sometimes actual fever. I just wanted to sleep. I wasn’t alone in this.
I learned that while some people are able to cheerfully embrace a new season, others, especially those with Lyme disease, are much more affected by it. For those who suffer from sleep disorders, changing the clocks by just one hour can seriously affect our circadian rhythm. I always find that my sleep-related symptoms intensify when I switch to daylight saving time or back to standard time. I suffer more from insomnia, have more nightmares, and have difficulty falling asleep during my afternoon nap and then waking up from it. It can take a week or more for me to adjust to the new time.
But even without the time change, simply switching from season to season can be particularly stressful for Lyme disease sufferers. In my case, my body may be so weakened and working overtime to fight the infection that it overreacts to even the slightest change. If I need to adjust a medication dose, I have to do it incredibly slowly, tricking my body into thinking that no dose change is happening at all. If I am too hot or too cold, my body reacts much more violently than a non-Lyme patient; I can overheat without warning and need cooling compresses all over my body, or I can suddenly become hypothermic.
Because climate change has altered the Earth’s ability to raise or lower temperatures according to the season, we may experience heat waves in February, followed by frosts and snowstorms in March. This is enough to shock anyone’s system, but for Lyme disease sufferers, these unpredictable weather patterns can cause the hyperreactions described above. Many Lyme disease sufferers find that symptoms such as joint pain, fever and headaches – which are difficult to control anyway – become almost impossible to manage during seasonal fluctuations.
And this is not only the case during the transition from winter to spring. Lyme disease sufferers struggle with every seasonal change. Personally, I experience more Babesia symptoms, such as shortness of breath and headaches, in the summer, while other Lyme disease sufferers may have worse joint pain in the autumn or winter.
Although our bodies can react strongly to seasonal changes, we Lyme patients have one advantage: flexibility. If we really think about it, we experience internal seasonal changes every single day. We may feel spring-like and energetic in the morning, full of possibilities, and then fall into a winter slumber in the afternoon, often without warning. Lyme symptoms can change daily, if not hourly, and we must learn to adapt to this unpredictability. If we can endure these multiple daily changes, we can certainly endure them a few times a year.
There are small steps we can take to help us through the seasonal changes. It helps me to be especially strict about my sleep hygiene at this time and to make sure I stick to the same schedule, even if the clock changes by an hour. I allow myself a little extra time to rest during these periods. I wear more layers than most people when it’s very cold outside, and I skip outdoor activities when the temperature rises above 30 degrees. Wherever I go, I always carry a water bottle with me. Sometimes I even change my medication or supplement doses seasonally, as I know that certain symptoms flare up or subside depending on the weather.
Of course, it’s not always easy to manage these shifts; they can be extremely frustrating. One hour we may be happy and hopeful, the next exhausted and depressed, and later that day anxious and angry. In a single day, we may experience summer and winter, autumn and spring, in all sorts of combinations, and this can be very unsettling for the patient.
If you are going through a difficult Lyme season, remember what we say in New England: wait five minutes and the weather will change. We really do have longer, brighter days ahead of us.
Jennifer Crystal, writer
Editor’s note: As with any other illness, the prescription of therapy for Lyme disease is the responsibility of a specialist. Do not change the dosage of prescribed medications without consulting your specialist!
Translation: https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/seasons-of-lyme
Source: weborvos.hu
