Summertime Sadness
May 4, 2018 10:42 AM   Subscribe

Every time summer comes around (in my country/city it means temperature in high nineties, merciless sun and very high humidity), it hits me with sledgehammer force. My body acts weird. Details after the jump.

Even apart from the discomfort causes by the weather itself (I perspire a lot), it's like my body actively rebels against the season - my feet, back, finger joints (?!) become terribly painful, my generally-under-control GERD worsens, and I am in a perpetually foul mood.
I am on prescription medicine for Vitamin D (and anyway I don't think not getting sun can be problem right now!) and my most recent bloodwork came back normal except the abysmally low Vit D levels. I'm overweight, so doctors tend to focus on that when I ask for medical advice. But this is the third year I'm noticing the onset of the Painful and Crabby, and I'd like it to stop, please. I've already upped my water intake and sleeping hours. Is there something else I am not considering?
My finger joints thank you in advance.
posted by Nieshka to Health & Fitness (13 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
My very first thoughts are:

a) are you getting enough electrolytes? If you're sweating a lot, you need not just water, but you need to replace the salt you're losing too. Gatorade or equivalents is the classic replacement here, though there are other options - make sure you're drinking as much as possible of some Gatorade-equivlent.

b) is your sleep being messed up by the light? I know you said you increased sleeping hours, but if your room is not well blacked-out, or if it's getting really hot in your room, you may be waking up (or at least starting to have bad sleep) earlier. Can you make sure your sleeping area is well and truly protected from the light, and as climate-controlled as possible for when it starts heating up in the day?
posted by brainmouse at 10:49 AM on May 4, 2018 [4 favorites]


I definitely get a form of "seasonal affective disorder" in the summer. Where I live, it's disgustingly hot/humid, buggy, sunny, devoid of breeze, and feels like a swamp. My brain and body are definitely not happy. For the most part I just suck it up (but know I'm crabby and moody) and set my hopes on Fall in a few months.

- For night, try putting up blackout curtains. I often feel like daylight is never-ending, and thus never get enough sleep. Sleep is essential to minimizing crabbiness.

- I will not skimp on air conditioning. I feel confident my environmental footprint is small compared to most where I live (live in a small studio, walk most places, no kids, offset temps in winter by almost never needing heat), so my conscience is pretty clear with going all out with AC in the summer.

- Getting exercise. I normally LOVE being outside, but loathe it in the summer. Even if it's just a walk on a treadmill, it's worth it for the endorphins. If you can, join a gym or community center with windows facing outside, and a bit of nature. I'd much rather go for a walk outside, but heat/humidity means compromise. If there are some pleasant days/mornings/evenings, try to get time outside. Get moving, somehow, in some form.

- My joints are also cranky in the summer. I find that hydration helps with this - there are electrolyte tablets you can add to water, to replace minerals lost in sweat, since sweat isn't just water. I usually go through a few NUUN tablets a week.

- Have plans for the fall - maybe a nice hike, or other outdoor time. Apple picking, set aside some money for some nice new fall clothing. Something to remind you that the hell that is summer will fade, eventually.

Best of luck. I feel your frustrations. If you ever want to complain about summer, feel free to message me because it is truly the worst!
posted by raztaj at 10:59 AM on May 4, 2018 [6 favorites]


are you getting enough electrolytes? If you're sweating a lot, you need not just water, but you need to replace the salt you're losing too.

Yeah - joint pain and GERD can both be caused or exacerbated by dehydration.
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:01 PM on May 4, 2018 [1 favorite]


Are you sure you actually are getting enough vitamin D? In many of the very hot places I’ve lived summer was almost treated like winter to me- hiding indoors until better weather came. I was always lifeguarding so I got plenty of outdoor time but it can be surprisingly easy to hide indoors when the weather is so brutal. It’s not the same as sitting on a nice park bench when it’s a breezy 75. It can be a bit counterintuitive when it’s so sunny out that you’re missing on vitamin D but it can happen!
posted by raccoon409 at 6:16 PM on May 4, 2018


Summer SAD is a real thing, according to the guy who first identified (winter) SAD. Some people might need light boxes if they're not going out in the sun at all. There's another article that talks about about heat and staying cool, and how the benefits of staying cool for summer SAD sufferers are real, but pretty much vanish immediately as soon as they go into the heat.

summer is terrible and should be banned
posted by wintersweet at 6:37 PM on May 4, 2018 [14 favorites]


Not being glib at all: can you move? I used to hate summer with a BURNING passion, like I wanted to just die every summer because it was so unbearable, even with air conditioning at work, at home, and in the car. I lived in Atlanta most of my life and hating summer was just a facet of my personality like enjoying coffee and sarcasm. Last summer was my first west coast summer since I was a kid and it changed my entire life, seriously. It turns out summer is actually totally bearable and even enjoyable, in the right climate. I live in Vancouver Washington now, and I can't imagine ever going back to the other way of having summer.
posted by masquesoporfavor at 6:57 PM on May 4, 2018


You're not imagining it, which is the only comfort I can offer you. We also solved this by moving, which may not be within your options.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:09 PM on May 4, 2018 [1 favorite]


I live in Minneapolis because I love the cold. I am almost always too hot. I am always especially too hot in the 3 months of summer we have. I am always too hot everywhere, all the time. It does make me crabby.

The eternal fight between husband and wife over the thermostat in my house has been won by me, I can not tolerate sleeping in 74 degrees. I need 68. Even then I use just the lightest sheet. My wife has 4 blankets at least.

If you can move, move up north here. We do get a few 100+ degrees days every year, and our humidity can be overpowering. Like recordbreaking. But thats a passing thing.

The alternative is doing what all our Snowbirds do. Move to Arizona for low humidity, but then you have to deal with real hot hot stuff.
posted by sanka at 7:16 PM on May 4, 2018 [1 favorite]


I feel you. Something about too much daylight makes me wish I were dead. I find that I can't finish projects or pay attention to anything until Daylight Savings comes back. Other than what people have mentioned above, consider sleeping with a two-liter bottle filled with frozen water wrapped in a towel and with a Bedfan. Go to the movies a lot and soak up the darkness and air conditioning.

For what it's worth, it was this bad for me when I was living in the the Pacific Northwest, too. It's just the amount of light, I think.
posted by blnkfrnk at 8:24 PM on May 4, 2018 [1 favorite]


I react this way to heat/humidity and one thing that's helped me cope with it is lots of regular exercise. You won't want to do it in the heat so maybe get a cheap gym membership and do an hour a day on the treadmill/eliptical?

Eating healthier (few to no carbs/sugars, lots of vegetables and proteins) also helped as did making sure that except for a cup or two of coffee I drink only water - no sugary beverages, no alcohol.
posted by eustacescrubb at 4:46 AM on May 5, 2018


Response by poster: Sorry about threadsitting, but I'm not American and I don't live in the U.S.A. As a matter of fact my city barely even has a winter and unfortunately, moving isn't a realistic option for a few years.
Thank you so much for all the suggestions!
posted by Nieshka at 5:23 AM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]


I used to suffer terribly during the summer months. Colds, sinus infections, achy joints, ear aches, sleepless nights etc.

When I got rid of air conditioning I improved. The last two summers I actually enjoyed. I don't know why and I don't care.
posted by james33 at 5:38 AM on May 5, 2018


I'm in a similar boat and some things I do in summer:
- I make a lot of cold brew iced tea and infused waters to tempt me into staying hydrated. It's very easy, you can reuse the same sprig of mint all week. I also now have an insulated water bottle and that was a great investment, as having cold water with me all day makes a big difference.
- I switch cooking strategies to mostly cold things (smoothies, grain salads) and really pay attention to how much I'm eating, as I otherwise lose appetite in the heat and can easily not eat enough.
- Electrolyte pills have been transformative for me for still being able to get outside and do physical activities, rather than just sitting on the couch. Otherwise I get lightheaded and headachy very quickly in the heat.
- Cooling neck wraps (example) are also amazing
posted by veery at 6:00 AM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]


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