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Many Sanguinarians as well as psi's comment on how the sun is harsh in the
summer, and the winter is cold. Often we have difficulty regulating our body
temperatures correctly, and so the cold affects us more... in the summer it
is the battle to stay covered from the sun without succumbing to heatstroke.
In this line of problems, there are a number of solutions. For the summer, sunscreen
and sunglasses are the obvious, for the winter bundling up and wearing heavier
clothes... here, I want to focus on some other ways to keep these two extremes
from becoming a taxing frustration.
SUMMER AND HOT WEATHER
Perhaps one important one (for heat) deals with water poisoning. As described
by SphynxCat:
"[Water Poisoning] is what happens when you drink enough water to upset
the chemical balance in your cells. Basically your cells osmose too much water
and don't have enough salts, and can swell. It's not poisoning as in drinking
antifreeze, it WILL go away if you take salts.. severe cases it's best to
get to a doctor for IV saline solutions. It's only a real danger in hot places,
where you sweat a lot and don't replace the salts lost through sweat. When
my father was in Saudi Arabia working he had to bring Gatorade with him to
keep him from getting water poisoning. People who drink a lot of water (As
in more than 3 gallons a day) to get high often suffer from this and can have
some really f**ked up symptoms. There's a disorder that causes this sort of
obsession, I'm not sure what it's called but I'm sure someone here might have
heard of it. Anyhow the average person isn't in too much danger of water poisoning
but it's good to maintain your salt level on a hot day just as you would you
water level. In the frenzy to hydrate a lot of times we forget the salts."
Other ways to help keep the sun from your skin and stay
cool at the same time are:
Cold cloth on the back of the neck (soak a bandana, tie it around your
neck.) Also there are some gel-filled bandanas on the market now that you
soak in water then put in the refrigerator or freezer and they stay cool.
{SphynxCat}
Wear *at least* a hat with a good brim if you can't. Fisherman's hat or
the like, and shades as dark as you can stand. A hat with the shades keeps
the sunlight from creeping in over the top of the shades.{SphynxCat}
Light layers to keep more sunlight off your skin (avoid sunburn) - particularly
if you are sensitive to sunblocks. I use a welding (full) jacket - it's
leather, it looks cheesy, it's plain, but it *works*. They're also heat-treated
to reduce the effects of heat. Doesn't help much vs humidity, though. In
the "light layers" category, in the past, I've gotten a very-oversize
men's shirt, say, denim or something, that also makes a convenient sunblock.
:) {SphynxCat}
If you start moving you're OK until you STOP, then you start overheating.
{Tathaenhi}
A small fan on the desk pointing at the face will keep you from getting
too hot. Wear sandals and get a fan for your feet too if you can. I put
the fans on for five minutes on, then five minutes off. {Tathaenhi}
Keep your limbs away from your body and wear LOOSE clothing, preferably
light colored. Wear cotton, ESPECIALLY underwear, because cotton breathes
and synthetics make you feel sticky and icky when you sweat. Also synthetics
can cause heat rashes more readily than cotton and there's hygiene dangers
from wearing tight, non breathable clothing in hot weather. {Tathaenhi}
I stick chunks of dry ice in a large soup pot that's kept on a low heat
(not enough to boil but enough to melt the dry ice) Granted this isn't feasible
for most people unless they have access to a dry ice maker or order things
packed in dry ice, but it makes a nice cold steam that humidifies the air
as well as cooling it. It also looks really cool. {Tathaenhi}
If you can, lie down, heat rises and you'll stay out of it better if you're
lower to the ground. {Tathaenhi}
Don't scratch or rub anywhere, no matter how itchy, the friction and movement
make you hotter, and when you're sweating all over in a hot environment
the risk of an abrasion becoming infected is much greater.{Tathaenhi}
Don't wear strong scents. You'll regret it later. Not to mention asthma
is sometimes exacerbated by heat, and strong perfume can trigger violent
attacks on a hot day. Citrus scents are nice and light and have the added
bonus of being a mild insect repellent.{Tathaenhi}
I have found that since my body is more sensitive to the cold, it takes
longer then most to notice the heat. This is helpful in that I can wear
long sleeves and a jacket longer then most other people. As noted, the longer
sleeves keep the sun from the skin much better then even sunblock. It is
best, however, to use the two together for extra precaution. Also, along
with this, temperature sensitivity varies from individual to individual,
be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke! They can get you
before you realize it if you are not careful. {Much thanks to SphynxCat
and Tathaenhi for suggestions on dealing with the heat}
WINTER AND COLD WEATHER
Sunglasses are as important if not more so in the winter. The sun itself
on the eyes still hurts, and with the falling of snow, the reflective glare
can also be painful. So, don't disregard them just because the world seems
darker! In terms of body heat regulation in the cooler months one of the most
effective things to do is conserve what body heat you do give off. This means
wearing layers of clothing, and if possible clothing of the thermal, fleece,
flannel, or wool variety. These are trap body heat and help to keep the cold
off. Some key points I have learned through the bitter months:
Most body heat escapes through the head and extremities (feet, hands, nose,
ears). To keep this heat, wear a wool or knit cap on the head, and insulating
gloves (those lined with a flannel or fleece are best I have found) on the
hands. Boots for the feet also help trap the warmth there, as well as heavy
socks.
Electric blankets at night are a godsend! The body natural drops in temperature
during sleep and so is more difficult for it to warm. DO NOT LEAVE THE BLANKET
ON ALL NIGHT, THOUGH!! Turn it on for about and hour before you bed down and
then turn it back off before sleeping. This will warm the bed itself without
the worry about burning yourself if set too high, or it causing a fire while
you are asleep.
If your have a house or apartment, spend more time stove-cooking this will
add to the warmth of your house without taxing your normal heating system.
Also allows for warm food, which helps warm a person as well.
Drink warm drinks such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate, apple cider, and even
steamed milk. These also help warm the body. The radiating warmth of the cups
they are in also helps warm the hands if you are walking in the cold. Along
the same line, avoid iced drinks as they can have the opposite effect.
Exercise. The more active you are, the more energy your body will burn and
the warmer you will feel. Just be sure to "cool down" from this
exercise in a warm place or the shock of the sweat to the cold can be harmful.
Eating carbohydrates (sugars) can also help build a natural body heat as
these foods are burned through digestion.
In some areas (such as my current one) the wind chill has a dramatic effect
on the sensory temperature. Investing in a long coat that can serve as a windbreaker
can have an immense effect.
Something that was pointed out to me, also, is that feeding can have a warming
effect. Not sure why or how or if it works for all, but it is something to
keep in mind.
Other Tips From Tathaenhi:
Alcohol will not warm you up, if your out in the cold it's better to leave
the drinking to when you can get inside. Yeah its an antifreeze but when
you metabolize it you don't produce any heat energy.
Frostbite is a terrible thing, avoid it by making sure your prone areas,
I.E. fingers, toes, ears, face and neck are well covered in breathable material
(If it's not breathable you'll feel even worse when you start sweating.)
There are three stages of frostbite, the first is when your skin is pink
and stiff and hurts, this isn't dangerous, if you go warm up there will
be no damage to your skin and nerves. Once your skin starts turning white
you've entered the danger stage, depending on how long it's been white (frozen),
there will be skin or nerve damage of a varying degree. The third stage,
severe frostbite, causes the entire area to die, and once you thaw out the
area (finger, toe, ear especially) will fall off. If you get a frostbite
this bad, be very careful of gangrene. Frostbite should not be treated with
hot anything, cover them gently with a cool (4-10 degree Celsius, fridge
temperature, but not much more) pack, if you can avoid touching the skin,
that's too the better. Hot water or objects can cause more damage than it
prevents.
Wet snow can be more of a pain than dry snow, even though dry snow is usually
colder. Wet snow soaks through everything and increases the likelihood of
your skin and clothes freezing, and can cause a pretty vicious frostbite.
Also you sweat lots under heavy clothes when you move, so if it IS cold
and dry out, it's good to have breathable clothes because as soon as you
stop moving you'll start shivering.
More on wind chill, wind chill is usually rated in terms of degrees.. I'm
not sure about Fahrenheit so I'll use Celsius. If it's -10 (mild weather
where I live in the winter) out, and the radio says there's a wind chill
factor of -20, it means that although temperature of the air in not windy
places is -10, wherever it's blowing it's going to be -30. If you have to
stand in the wind (for a bus or whatever) it's best to do it with your back
facing the wind, your back can take more wind than your face can because
your back is covered. Frozen eyes hurt.
If you're in a place that gets snow, and you drive, make an emergency weather
pack. Put gloves, boots, and a hat or toque in it, a small shovel, a small
axe, a bag of road salt, rolls of toilet paper, matches and emergency candles.
(If your car stops, put the toilet paper around the candle, I'm told it
heats warmer and longer that way. A coffee can to burn it in is also recommended.)
Emergency blankets and a bottle of water in a thermos (it takes more to
freeze it that way) are also recommended, emergency blankets are these thin
mylar sheets with a matte side and a shiny side, when you wear them wear
them matte side out. Some people pack high energy snacks in their emergency
pack. Flashlights, a flare-pen with extra flares, and batteries for all
of it are a good idea. (a flare-pen is a small version of a flare-gun, it
looks like a mini-maglight and sends up a little colored fireball about
40 meters.) It all sounds like a lot to have around but the shovel and the
axe are the only real huge things. It'll fit all in a corner of your trunk.
Most people also keep a scraper/brush somewhere in the car, it's not really
an emergency tool but it's good for cleaning frost off your windshield and
you don't wreck your credit card.
Other Tips From Bjorn:
Silk is a good thermoregulator in cold weather. It's very comfortable (so
I'm told) and insulates better per thickness than wool or thermals, etc.
And cotton is one of the poorest insulators.
Insulate the main part of your body, as it is your furnace. Especially
insulate your chest right over your heart. There is a deposit of "brown
fat", a holdover from infancy, which, ounce for ounce gives far more
heat when metabolized than the other, "white fat."
Alcohol actually dilates the capillaries (and other blood vessels to a
lesser extent), which is why it warms you up. However, it also increases
the rate at which the body loses heat to the surrounding environment. So
it's a bad idea to go out into the cold even one hour after one alcoholic
drink.
Also, there is a medical condition called "Reynaud's Syndrome"
which can contribute to one's sensitivity to temperature changes, especially
to the cold. Basically, when the body's core temperature drops, the muscle
cells around the capillaries constrict, reducing the blood flow. This can
occur to varying degrees, and often results in a splotched appearance of
the skin on the hands and feet, progressing slowly up the arms and legs
as time goes on if the person does not warm up. Then the toes and fingers
appear white, purple, or blue (it depends) due to restricted blood flow.
However, Reynaud's can also be a sign of other, more serious conditions.
If it is only part of a larger whole, it can be very threatening. If someone
suspects they might have it and show any of the signs, including an inability
to warm up soon after being cold, I very strongly advise that they go to
a doctor and get blood tests run, including but not limited to a karyotype.
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