Seven Tips for Coping with Multiple Sclerosis

Summer camps for children and teens with MS

A number of summer camps are available with staff equipped to help children with MS handle the various challenges they face while participating in a wide variety of activities. Children with MS get to experience normal activities and spend time with other children who understand the challenges they face.

Stay cool in the summer

• Use air conditioning or a dehumidifier and fans (across a bowl of ice water when heat is intense).
• Keep the shades drawn from at least 11:00 am until 2:00 pm to keep the heat of the mid-day sun out of the home.
• Wear natural fiber clothing and use natural fiber bedding such as cotton or bamboo. They breathe better and are cooler than synthetics.
• Take a cool shower or bath. Use cool foot soaks or forehead compresses.
• Avoid overheating during exercise by keeping exercise moderate, exercising during the cool part of the day, taking a cool shower after exercising, swimming or exercising in a pool and wearing light, breathable clothing
• Seek shade; wear a hat.
• Drink plenty of cold water and juices.

Eat Healthy

Healthy eating and drinking plenty of fluid will help combat some of the symptoms experienced by people with MS, such as fatigue and bowel and urinary tract problems.

A balanced diet rich in fruit, leafy green vegetables, root vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grain breads and cereals, fish and dairy will provide the body with the best balance of natural vitamins and minerals. A healthy food selection should be a person?s first choice for receiving daily vitamin and mineral requirements.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important to healthy functioning of a number of organ systems. Talk to your health care provider about whether he/she recommends vitamin and mineral supplements. Some physicians recommend Vitamin D3 supplements since MS is more common in higher latitudes that receive less ultraviolet radiation. UV light provides the energy to turn a form of cholesterol found in the skin into Vitamin D3. Research into the effects of Vitamin D3 supplementation on MS is ongoing.

Vitamin D rich foods include:

• Egg yolks
• Herring or trout
• Mackerel
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Tuna (light, white, yellowfin, albacore, ahi, skipjack, bluefin )
• Fortified products such as fortified rice, soy, milk, margarine, orange juice

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, fruits and fish oil are also rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are believed to be useful in the management of anti-inflammatory, autoimmune and neurological disorders. Omega 3 rich foods include:

• flax seeds
• walnuts
• cold Water Fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel)
• winter squash
• olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil- not cooked (cooking destroys omega-3 in olive oil)

Exercise

Exercise can produce many benefits for people with MS including:

• improved strength and posture
• decreased fatigue
• improved mood, self-confidence and general sense of well being
• improved sleep
• improved appetite
• improved bowel and bladder function

Exercise tips

• Choose an exercise that you enjoy and you will have a better chance of sticking with it.
• To avoid symptoms brought on by overheating keep exercise moderate, exercise during the cool part of the day, take a cool shower after exercising, exercise in a cool area, try swimming or pool exercises and wear light, breathable clothing.
• Try exercising with a partner to add elements of support, fun and consistency to your routine.
• Be sure to do some stretching exercises, since muscle spasms and tightening can be a problem for people with MS.
• Deep breathing exercises will help clear the lungs and prevent lung infections.

Relax with a Massage

Benefits of massage therapy for people who experience MS include:

• reduced spasticity
• reduced muscle tension
• reduced muscle stiffness
• improved sense of well-being
• improving and/or maintaining flexibility

Seek Out Local and National Resources

Contact your local and national Multiple Sclerosis groups. They can help provide you with the names of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, counselors, nutritionists, rehabilitation therapists, exercise therapists and home health care centers and who specialize in meeting the needs and challenges presented by MS.

Seek out reliable medical resources

The internet is filled with an abundance of reliable, well-written material on how to live with and treat a variety of illnesses and symptoms. Unfortunately it also contains some information that is unbalanced, unreliable and when followed can bring about a great deal of harm. Look for sites that are up to date, endorsed by your local or national MS organizations, or are written by trained health professionals. When in doubt about a site or the advice offered seek the opinion of your physician or other well trained health care provider that you know and trust before acting on the information provided.