A patient with multiple sclerosis may experience a variety of symptoms if exposed to heat or to sunlight. In some cases this can lead to sudden death.
Sources of heat exposure:
(1) hot bath or shower
(2) sauna
(3) sunbathing
(4) strenuous exercise
(5) being in the tropics or subtropics
Complications of the heat exposure:
(1) altered level of consciousness, including coma
(2) loss of vision (Uhthoff's sign)
(3) nystagmus and other ocular findings
(4) autonomic dysfunction
(5) muscle weakness
(6) cardiac arrhythmia with risk of sudden death
In most cases the findings reverse on normothermia but sometimes permanent impairment may occur.
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Specialty: Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
