To think there must be something wrong with me because I absolutely can not tolerate the UK heatwaves - anyone else?

[Saywhatnowhey]

I am 53 and in perimenopause so that is not helping at all but I have always been like this.

As soon as summer hits and these heatwaves come out of nowhere I feel dreadful. I have never been able to tolerate either cold or hot weather at all, even when I was younger. As a child I preferred winter over summer so I could cover and layer up.

Where I live in the UK it is often the most hot and humid weather during the summer months and it makes me feel so physically unwell. I have some existing health issues but none that are related to temperature intolerance so no idea why I get like this. It's only 9.30am and I have already had to sit down with my neck fan on. Just hanging out a few loads of washing and tidying up the kitchen has left my heart racing, my stomach churning (I do have IBS which gets worse in the summer) and I feel so nauseous (I always feel so sick in the heat). Other than pace and fan myself there doesn't seem to be a lot I can do to dampen down the ill feeling I get.

No one else I know is like this, everyone adores this heat and really looks forward to it, some saying the hotter the better but I just want to lay on my bed and lay with the fan on all day, I feel so lightheaded and weird.

I have mentioned this numerous times to my GP but my blood levels return ok so they don't have any suggestions.

Is it normal to feel so unwell during the summer months? Does anyone else get this?

I freeze during the winter, like to the bone frozen but I would rather take that over the summer because at least I can carry my trusty hot water bottle around with me and layer up. The sticky, humid UK summers make me want to rip my skin off. It really annoys me because I love warmth and sunshine - I could happily reside in September and October for the rest of my days, I am at my most comfortable in Autumn.

Fair enough. It’s 23 in Manchester and 25 where I live today so I’m definitely in short sleeves!

I’m just mad we didn’t seem to get any spring. It’s gone straight from big coat temps so shorts temps.

Hate it!
57, menopausal, red head,a bit overweight, I sweat at the slightest raise in temperature but it's my head that sweats so my hair gets wet-I absolutely loathe it; it looks awful and is embarrassing. And to top it all, I've developed a sensitivity to the sun so I come out in hives!
Roll on autumn!

I didn’t like heatwaves in the UK. They seem comparatively worse than ones in central and eastern/south Eastern Europe.

I think it’s the high humidity, lack of air conditioning, and the way buildings and infrastructure tend to absorb and trap heat. It feels hotter than it is.

I’m not your age yet but many women 45+ really seem to struggle with heat! (At least many I know…)

so no, I don’t think you’re the only one. Quite the opposite, probably.

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/archive-science/historic-verdict-could-link-climate-crisis-and-human-rights/75321434

that would also explain why the Swiss female climate seniors felt strongly enough to take their issue to the ECHR!

Same here. On the flip side my husband cooks himself in the garden on hot days

This really does work in extreme heat.

How can anyone complain about this gorgeous weather after lots of rain and miserable grey weather. I am absolutely loving it, getting all my washing dried and sitting in the garden. Its not even that hot yet and im menopausal but embracing this glorious sunshine.

Good grief is it really that hot today? I am in the SE but I am at home in a fluffy dressing gown ( yes lazy and not dressed yet). I just don't feel that hot - maybe slightly and pleasantly warm, certainly better than in the last couple of miserablly cold weeks.

I just am not experiencing this weather as a "heatwave" yet. It just feels nice

I will say that it can take a while to acclimatise to very hot weather . I spent 12 days.in Malaysia recently and the combination of 32 deg heat and 70% humidity every day needed to be adjusted to. Whilst I never loved it and the sweating never went away, I was less sweaty and red faced in the last couple of days than at the beginning and more able to do things wothout the weather making it much more difficult. I think maybe the main problem in the UK is the lack of time to acclimatise to anything consistent

I know! Have had to put up with shitty damp weather for MONTHS 🤷🏼‍♀️

Exactly!

I get that some can’t cope with warm weather, it’s just that this is the first nice day we’ve had. I’m
North West England and the weather has been damp for months and months. It makes my asthma 10 times better when warm and dry.

It's just rude to call it hysteria when there are medical conditions (like mine and many others) that make people very vulnerable to heat. They do weather warnings for that reason.

Hate it, I've never coped well with heat, had heat stroke multiple times whilst actively trying to avoid it, and now I am disabled and have chronic health issues too, on top of physical disability... its awful and can trigger an autonomic crash.

So last year we bit the bullet and got AC in the bedroom, which has been used far more than I thought, as it has a heat function too, and our central heating er, isn't... it is only downstairs (no idea why someone decided to fit half a central heating system!).

So whilst I do have to sit downstairs in a horribly stuffy room during the day whilst I work, I do have some respite at bedtime now!

Cool almost cold showers frequently throughout the the day, get dressed when still slightly damp.
Drink loads or water.

I absolutely love it. Tbh I still haven’t taken my jumper off, but if it gets to 30 degrees I will.

Personally I enjoy it. If I was being picky around 25 degrees in this county is perfect with a cool morning to walk the dog.

We do not do heat well in this country but I also find people don’t help themselves!

Are you taking cold showers? Do you keep the house cool? Have a fan? Drink lots of water? Avoid the midday sun? We need to become a bit more European in our approach.

I would just take the hit and buy an aircon unit for your bedroom. I managed to break mine and my DH won’t let me buy another! But it got me through that long hot summer we had a while ago.

I honestly don't understand how anyone can enjoy the UK heat.

Presumably for the same reason that people who feel cold easily don't understand why you prefer cold weather.

We aren't even through the first day of fine wrather and the number of people complaining on mumsnet is unbelievable.

Yes the driving rain, wind, endless grey cloud and damp makes me depressed.

Equally those conditions are vulnerable to cold and all the land slugs on here post about how much they love the cold, drizzle and ‘snuggling with hot chocolate’ for 11 months a year

We currently have a cool breeze. I imagine sitting in the shade in this breeze would keep most people cool.

👏🏼👏🏼

It is quite difficult doing strenuous work in the heat.
But I hate getting dressed in the winter! Soooooo many layers to keep justabout warm enough.
Soz I don’t usually post to disagree, this time i have to. I really hope you can stay cool enough for comfort 💐💐💐

I do often wonder.

I have ADHD, IBS and Endometriosis but I'm not sure any of those would cause me to have such heat intolerance. I am hypermobile but I don't have an official diagnosis but I wonder if that may contribute to it all?

I feel your pain, I have a migraine today from the heat. Alaska sounds wonderful.