Managing Fibromyalgia Symptoms and Weather Changes

Many people find that managing their Fibromyalgia symptoms has a lot to do with how the weather changes.

If you’re one of those people, you may need some of the tips below about how to stay more comfortable:

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• Dress in Layers

Prepare for those chilly days by dressing in two or three layers. This will keep your body warm because the individual layers insulate you better. Plus, you can shed any excess clothing if you get in an environment that is too hot. Remember: you can always put on more clothes, but you can only take off so many!

• Avoid Cold Temperatures

Many people keep their air conditioning only to tolerably cool in the summer, but keep their heat up enough that it’s comfortably warm during the winter months. If you do have to go outside in the cold weather, wear gloves, proper boots, and a warm hat. A lot of the body’s heat is lost through the scalp. Also, keep your extremities warm and you’ll be helping to prevent more aches and pains. (You have enough chronic pain, don’t you?)

EXTRA TIP: If you drive, warm up your car ahead of time before you begin driving. Letting the chill get out of your car will mean that it won’t seep into your bones and leave you shivering!

• Bring the Sunshine Inside

If you notice that you get particularly fatigued or depressed once the cloudy, cold weather sets in, try to increase the amount of light you have inside of your house. During the dingy, gray months, it is easy to become depressed and tired, which only can make your symptoms worse. Doctors call this SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. Purchase some halogen bulbs or a special light box to help improve your mood. You also can buy bulbs to put in your home’s light fixtures.

*I use the desk light below at my computer desk. It is amazing and I wouldn’t give anything for it. Just yesterday I re-ordered the full specturm, replacement, fluorescent light bulb for it. The old one had lasted over 2 years of day in and day out use. Its full spectrum bulb provided a natural sun light quality to my room all that time. I work a lot indoors. No Seasonal Affective Disorder allowed here!

Also, here is a regular, individual full spectrum light bulb that can go in an average lamp.

Also…don’t forget to have your doctor monitor your level of Vitamin D. It’s easy to get low!

Here’s an additional goodie for you and it’s “free”– my resource article about sleep that might shed some additional light on this important subject. Pun intended. To keep your Fibromyalgia symptoms at bay, consider weather changes, your vitamin D level and topics like sleep quality.

You’ll be “well” ahead of other folks, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show

Tagged as: Fibromyalgia symptoms, Seasonal Affective Disorder, weather changes