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.

It could be, I was only diagnosed with adhd last year at 52 so I am still researching things about it. I often think that I may also have asd and that may be why I struggle, I do have a lot of sensory issues.

I might try some electrolytes too but I have to be really careful what I consume as I have awful IBS, I usually stick to water.

I live near the coast too, it's crazy today. My daughter started a summer job in a holiday park yesterday, she said it was boiling (she too dislikes this heat).

Have fun, I have never been but Norway and Scandinavia in general is at the top of my wishlist of places to visit.

Not sure if it's been said but Cornwall is a good shout for anyone who doesn't like the heat.
pissed off sunworshipper in St Austell sat looking out at the mist and the murk, in a balmy 16°

You sound very similar to me. I have wondered for quite some time if I might have EDS, I am very hypermobile, have IBS, ADHD and endometriosis. I have read these can all be interconnected, I have tried getting my GP to take this seriously but she says everyone is a bit hypermobile, I am more than a bit! I am seeing an osteopath next month, she specialises in EDS so I will ask her opinion.

I too experience lightheadedness when standing, especially if I bend down and stand up and my heart races. I have tested my blood pressure laying and standing and mine goes up too but like you, not a massive jump. I'm not sure what to think really. All I know is that it is shit isn't it? It's all very well people coming on here saying we are moaning about the heat for no reason but I genuinely feel unwell when there is a heatwave.

No, I am slim and have been my whole life.

I live by the coast but I never go on the beach in the summer, I never find it fun at all. You will find me and my dog on the beach in the Autumn and Winter, I love it then.

I used to work for a well known Optical store, the uniforms there were 100% polyester, I fainted on the bus to work one summer. I felt like I had been wrapped up in cling film. I do not miss those days at all.

I will say it again - I can not afford an air conditioning unit.

If your so heat intolerant that you feel sick and get palpitations at 20 degrees then yes you should take that pretty significant need into account when chosing a house. There will have been other houses with bedrooms not in the roof

Feeling physically unwell at 9am at about 20 degrees after some very mild housework is absolutely not normal and honestly should be investigated further. That's a complete inability to regulate your body temperature

I am not going into why we purchased our house because frankly it's none of your business and because my house isn't the reason I posted this thread, I am asking people if they find the UK summer heatwaves hard on their bodies, the house has nothing to do with it. I live with 3 other people and they are fine.

Oh, I forgot, I had posted this in AIBU - yep, your reply makes sense now, are you usually this obtuse and pedantic or is the heat affecting you too?

I used to hate heatwaves , Summer is not my favourite season but i have changed my behaviour when it's very hot.
Work aside -which is ok as we have air con in most areas i make any plans for early morning , avoid busy hot places and potter around the house and in and out of the garden , i have a summerhouse which is lovely on a sunny day .
I quite like the odd few hot days at home now , i do like thinking about Autumn though .

I get tired of the assumption that if you suffer with heat, you are likely overweight. Several members in my immediate family are overweight and the heat and sun has little to no effect on them.

I struggle with heat and have since childhood to the point of fainting and vomiting afterwards. I have also been slim my entire life. My blood pressure is within healthy range although on the lower end. I am NT. I also run warm.

I’m the only one in my immediate family that the heat and sun affects me this way. My mother gets heat rashes from being in the sun and has had to take prescription creams for years. My sister breaks out in them periodically. I only started getting heat rash subtly on my left wrist last year but it has faded away.

The heat and sun completely drains me and I have to have two fans going in a room to be comfortable in my home.

Funny enough, DH runs cold and even he says the summers are starting to get to
him.

Unfortunately, we don’t have about £2K lying around to put in AC and we do enjoy living in the SE through the other three seasons.

I do sometimes think I wonder how much it would cost to rent out a church for summer. I bet it's cool in a church.

anyway aren't air conditioning units contributing to climate change?

I hate it too. If it gets over 28° I basically don’t want to do anything. I have been to hotter, more humid places abroad but they are set up well with air con! I’m a teacher so have to tolerate the classroom being 30°+. It’s horrible for the pupils as well. Praying the heat wave ends before we go back after half term!

I'm not going to get into that specifically

But if you google you will see that lack of air-conditioning contributes to excess deaths

Indoor temperatures from 25 to 28 our problem. I would've thought 25 was okay, but I'm a feeling cold person.

I had a good sleep last night and woke up in a very good mood, but I always sleep better in the heat. Only woke up to add an extra layer.

So as someone who is always cold, even I'm saying that lack of Aircon contributes to health problems

Here is one report
https://britishprogress.org/reports/air-conditioning-saving-lives-and-accelerating-net-zero

@Saywhatnowhey can you sleep downstairs at all?

Just to add heat is so strangely different in this country. But the only work I've done in other countries has been the US, which is obviously very well set up for aircon

a 30° day is lovely over there. Here it's only nice if you haven't got to work. Again it all depends how we are made.

The strong sunlight in particular is giving me a boost but I do really feel for everyone who's having issues.

I am British, living in Athens, and hands down, a heatwave here is easier to handle here than the UK.

A lot of it is do do with what you said about the homes. Here we have split unit AC's in every room, stone floors, pools and the sea etc. The last time we were in the UK during a heatwave, we came back to Greece earlier as none of us could sleep!

The UK just isn't equipped for these temperatures. Much like our marble floors and large windows - everywhere - don't lend themselves to a great deal of warmth and cosiness in winter.

My experience is similar.

I’m from the Balkans, and used to live in the UK. I like heat, and I don’t struggle at all in countries with consistently higher temperatures. The only country I’ve found a heatwave to be in unpleasant in, is the UK. Because of the humidity, and the propensity for buildings and infrastructure to trap heat, it always felt hotter than it actually was.

Oh, and I’m also at the lower end of the healthy weight spectrum, so finding British heat to be a strange/unpleasant one is not unique to the overweight.

Installing air conditioning in the house made a huge difference. OP- even if you can’t install a HVAC, you may find a smaller portable AC unit to be more affordable for you?

I do indeed wear sunglasses. But that only affects my eyes. I hate the feeling of the sun on my body. I am on the autistic spectrum and have a lot of sensory issues and this is one of them. I am perfectly happy in the shade on a hot day but I cannot cope with the sun on my body.

You are not alone OP - it's always made me very lethargic and slow of brain. Now I have Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, which seems to cause horrendous sweating from the head. It runs down the sides of my face and neck. Yet the rest of my body is fine. Blow drying my hair in the winter is bad - horrendous in summer.
On the plus side, I love the light and blue skies.

The French Can we have air conditioning
Of course you can.
The Spanish Can we have air conditioning
Of course you can.
The Italians Can we have air conditioning
Of course you can.

The Brits. Can we have air conditioning
No you bloody cant Dont you know it makes climate change worse!

I’m with you, I feel suffocated and attacked by the brightness.

Bloody love my aircon, used it last night so we could get some sleep!