It depends on the patient. In some cases, yes, although it is largely dependent on the patient, as there are currently 13 different subtypes of Ehlers Danlos syndromes, and every patient is unique and has their own unique set of symptoms. Thus, the pain levels and symptoms each patient experiences in the heat or the cold range greatly depending on the person as well as any co-concurrent conditions, such as POTS, gastroparesis, fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), dysautonomia, and migraines, to name just a few.
Common symptoms in EDS/POTS patients related to temperature/weather:
When patients suffer from central pain syndrome (CPS), which has been linked to EDS, their nervous systems undergo anatomical and chemical changes. Nociceptors (tiny pain receptors) and peripheral nerves become hypersensitive. Pain amplification in the spinal cord tends to increase, and the spinal cord’s ability to filter pain decreases.
These changes become evident when the patient’s sensory nervous system is exposed to any change, such as cold or heat.
This causes the sensory nervous system to respond to that change. Tissues will also swell as a result, making the patient’s agony even worse.
In addition, atmospheric pressure changes have a huge effect on intracranial pressure, therefore directly impacting the EDS/POTS patient population.
Just like a balloon filled with water, most of our bodies can be compressed. We are surrounded by atmospheric air, pressing in on our bodies.
When air pressure increases it presses in on the body, compressing (essentially squeezing) it. Its contents and fluids outside the cells (such as blood and lymph), are squeezed into incompressible open spaces, such as the head.
When air pressure lowers, fluids drain back into the soft tissue of the body, resulting in lower pressure in the head. Since EDS/POTS patients struggle with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure regulation, this really affects these patients. This explains why symptoms like body aches, pain in joints and teeth, migraines, and seizures increase even when small changes in barometric pressure occur.
There is irrefutable proof that there are real anatomical, cellular, and chemical factors contributing to the development of chronic pain in EDS/POTS patients.
Please know that if you suffer from EDS and/or POTS, your pain is real, not imaginary, not inflated, and nothing to feel guilty about.
If you or a loved one is in chronic neurologic pain, call us for free at (479) 304-8202 or start your patient journey by filling out the form on the Get Started page to get more information about the Spero Clinic’s neurologic rehabilitation program.
Start your patient journey with the Spero Clinic's neurologic rehabilitation program.
