When It's Cold

[belize44]

Lately, I have to avoid sudden exposures to frigid temps, such as in briefly opening a door or window and letting in a blast of arctic air. What happens is that I will start to shiver, then my entire body will go into a painful spasm.

I first noticed this about five years ago, when we were leaving a Christmas party and walking towards the car in an icy parking lot. I started to shiver, then felt as if every muscle in my body locked into a spasm. I was sobbing in pain as we rushed home, filled the bath tub and submerged me in warm water. I have had it happen a few more times, and now make sure to really bundle up if I have to venture out in very cold temperatures.

Has anyone else experienced this weird response to cold? If so, what do you think is going on?

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Wonder how much energy shivering requires?

Its not that cold where I live, Im not sure any longer how I"d respond.

Given we don't yawn or stretch properly, we probably do no shiver properly either.

For whatever reason, at the moment I can't handle the furnace/the hot dry heat bakes my eyes so thats probably why and my chair is closer : I often leave the room.

I was shivering alot as you describe back in September in a nice 73 degrees.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

much energy shivering requires?

Also this is autonomic and neurological

We aren't producing proper finger and toe wrinkling. We Arne't sending the blood back properly.

Anything else?

 

[belize44]

Also this is autonomic and neurological

Duh! I wasn't figuring that into the equation of ailments! So shivering is a natural and expected response to cold, but in our cases the body can't do it properly. Believe it or not, I used to love colder temps and loved going out for walks in it. Now it is a form of torture.

 

[belize44]

I can relate to what you said about the furnace; my bed is very near the steam radiator and I can't have that on very high or I get nose bleeds from the dryness.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Duh! I wasn't figuring that into the equation of ailments!

I thought I was really clever to have even thought of that!

But its totally going to require a whole array of Body Action to generate a good shiver and we probably can't do that right either.

 

[redsun]

Duh! I wasn't figuring that into the equation of ailments! So shivering is a natural and expected response to cold, but in our cases the body can't do it properly. Believe it or not, I used to love colder temps and loved going out for walks in it. Now it is a form of torture.

I think your shivering is a proper response to a drop in core temperature. It may seem exaggerated and unnecessary but it is not. A walk to your car in the cold to a car which was probably cold as well is quite a bit of time.

I attached an article that goes into this if you are interested. Very easy to understand but also quite informative.

 

[belize44]

I think your shivering is a proper response to a drop in core temperature. It may seem exaggerated and unnecessary but it is not. A walk to your car in the cold to a car which was probably cold as well is quite a bit of time.

I attached an article that goes into this if you are interested. Very easy to understand but also quite informative.

Thank you! I was curious to know the mechanism by which this occurs.

 

[linusbert]

i've noticed sensitivity to cold also applys when being wrapped in pretty warm while not freezing.
i suppose its the cold air triggering internal sensors when cold air goes through the airways and lung.

what helps for me is a big scarf wrapping around the face and mouth, so to breath into the scarf and through it. that way i breeze in only warm air.

basically i move around like a whooly condom, everything covered.
i had this sensitivity for cold already far before i got sick. i was the kid wearing multiple pullovers and jackets and socks. and being cold like crazy, had to warm up every morning leaning against the heater.

 

[belize44]

i've noticed sensitivity to cold also applys when being wrapped in pretty warm while not freezing.
i suppose its the cold air triggering internal sensors when cold air goes through the airways and lung.

what helps for me is a big scarf wrapping around the face and mouth, so to breath into the scarf and through it. that way i breeze in only warm air.

basically i move around like a whooly condom, everything covered.
i had this sensitivity for cold already far before i got sick. i was the kid wearing multiple pullovers and jackets and socks. and being cold like crazy, had to warm up every morning leaning against the heater.

I'd actually prefer to feel too cold all of the time, than the crazy temperature fluctuations I suffer from. We are int the middle of a cold snap, but if I bundle up, I overheat and have to strip off outer layers very quickly.

 

[Wishful]

Our weather here in central Alberta would have had your shivering for sure. We went from relatively warm weather (warmer than -20C) to several nights of -42C. One place got -44C.

Hopefully it killed off a lot of Mountain Pine Beetles (that's nature's main control of them, which global warming is reducing).

 

[Anchoress]

Note to self.. NEVER go to central Alberta...
We get colder than the mainland; all that cold ocean all around us. but it it the wind off the water that is the worst. Offshore island off the Mayo coast in Ireland. ie Atlantic shore

 

[Wishful]

Note to self.. NEVER go to central Alberta...

Just in case you're interested: it was -40 this morning. We had weeks of relatively warm weather--going above freezing some days--but then the north decided to shove an arctic air mass at us. It's warming up again today, as that air mass goes elsewhere, probably to annoy someone else.

I decided to not do outdoor activities today.

 

[Anchoress]

OUCH! And wise one to stay inside.... We had a few degrees under in the night I think