Tag: Temperature Regulation

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Running Through the Roller Coaster of Temperature Swings

Written October 11, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

The very chilly morning temperatures look like they’re about to bounce around chaotically over the next week. The weather may rise 10 degrees before dropping 20. We are riding a roller coaster made by some weather machine. I don’t like these swings because they don’t give me time to adapt.

Ever since my brain stroke, I have caused trauma in my hypothalamus, and I have lost control of my body temperature and the thermoregulation system. Our body is supposed to adjust heat by sweating, shivering, or changing blood vessel dilation. Brain stroke also damages the censoring system on my skin so that I can feel both cold and hot at the same time. 

My wife keeps the house temperature at about 65F (18C). She believes that being too hot in the winter or too cold in the summer would break our thermoregulation system. Living in Portland, we hardly used a heating or cooling system. This is not as possible in Nashville, where the weather can be hotter and cold. Since I have a problem adjusting my body temperature, this helps me greatly during hot summers or cold winters. 

I change how I dress to control my temperature by consulting the weather app on my phone. It can be critical when I go running. Sometimes, I do a 10km run and could be outside for over 60 minutes. I started to log my running speed; I noticed that the temperature greatly impacted my running performance. Sometimes, the temperature shifts to 10F while I am running. The volatile temperatures leave me either overdressed or underdressed.

The temperature will not stop me from running unless there is a snowstorm. I hope to run a 10k tomorrow, but I’ll do so after breakfast.  It’s been several months since I’ve eaten breakfast before running, so I’m curious how returning to that schedule will feel.

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Navigating Temperature Control Challenges After a Stroke: A Personal Journey

In the wake of my husband’s stroke, we faced a myriad of challenges, one of which was his sudden struggle with body temperature regulation. This unexpected journey began when he suffered a brain stroke, leading to bleeding in the central part of his brain. Among the areas impacted was the hypothalamus, nestled just above the brainstem.

The hypothalamus plays a pivotal role in maintaining our body’s equilibrium, a state known as homeostasis. As the Cleveland Clinic outlines, this small but mighty part of the brain acts as a messenger, coordinating crucial functions such as body temperature, blood pressure, and even our moods and sleep patterns.

The initial three months post-stroke were particularly tough, and they’re periods my husband doesn’t recall. After removing his feeding tube, I took on the responsibility of feeding him, a slow and painstaking process due to his lack of motivation. His sense of time was skewed, necessitating a strict sleep schedule. Touch became a source of discomfort, like a knife’s edge against his skin. His world seemed devoid of the sensations that usually bring joy, like the warmth of a sunny day or the cool relief of a breeze.

In the following months, his perception of hot and cold became conflated. He would wear a robe in summer, feeling both hot and cold simultaneously. We discovered that applying pressure to his skin could sometimes trick his brain into not feeling cold, leading him to often wear a hooded shirt even in warm weather. Before his stroke, we seldom needed air conditioning or heating in our Portland home, but post-stroke, finding a comfortable temperature became a constant challenge.

As someone who isn’t a medical professional, my understanding is based on observation and reading. I’ve noticed the brain’s remarkable ability to compensate and heal after such trauma. Before his stroke, my husband never enjoyed running, but now, it’s an activity that seems to aid his recovery. Nearly a decade into his journey, his abilities have been significantly improved, such as being able to cook independently.

I’ve decided to share our story and his progress in a journal form, hoping it might offer a glimmer of hope to others in similar situations. Ten years ago, when he first experienced his stroke, I was desperate for information and support. Seeing his recovery now, I believe our experience might resonate with others searching for hope and understanding in the face of such life-changing events.

 

Reference

Cleveland Clinic. (2022, March 16). Hypothalamus. Health Library. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22566-hypothalamus