(BPT) - As the country begins to emerge from the stay-at-home restrictions resulting from COVID-19, people are anxious to get back to life before lockdown. Even with some restrictions still in place, it’s important for physical and emotional health to get outside and take in the fresh air. Now, with the summer months upon us, the ability to enjoy the warmer weather is a reality.For some, however, the heat and humidity doesn’t always mean fun in the sun. Instead, it may affect their health by causing uncomfortable and dangerous symptoms. Those living with neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), need to be especially careful not to assume that those negative symptoms are a result of the weather.“Being in a hot environment can lead to dehydration, which can contribute to lowering your blood pressure,” says Jerome Lisk MD, FAAN, Neurologist and Movement Disorder Specialist. “The lowering of blood pressure can trigger acute orthostatic hypotension (OH) in some people, which means your blood pressure significantly falls within seconds or minutes of standing.”Dr. Lisk goes on to say, “Experiencing this drop in blood pressure can lead to symptoms like lightheadedness, blurred vision, dizziness, or a general feeling of weakness.”While some people may experience these symptoms as the temperature gets warmer, people living with PD and other neurodegenerative conditions should be careful not to misinterpret the symptoms of feeling dizzy or lightheaded as weather related. These symptoms could potentially be an underlying condition called neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, or nOH. Dr. Lisk says, “nOH is a subset of OH and is a condition that is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases, like PD, multiple system atrophy (MSA) and pure autonomic failure (PAF). Hot, humid environments can exacerbate symptoms of nOH and may lead patients to assume the heat is the cause of their symptoms, when in fact, it could be nOH caused by their underlining neurological disorder.”Symptomatic nOH is due in large part to the fact that the body does not release enough norepinephrine upon standing. As a result, blood vessels are unable to tighten as they should, preventing the blood from being pumped back up to the head and upper torso resulting in lightheadedness, dizziness or the feeling of blacking out, among other common symptoms. The good news is that symptomatic nOH can be both diagnosed and managed. While there are non-pharmacological interventions to manage nOH – like drinking two glasses of water within 2-3 minutes of experiencing symptoms, increasing your salt intake, wearing abdominal binders, etc. – there is also a treatment option available.NORTHERA® (droxidopa) is a prescription medication that has been shown to improve symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness and the feeling of blacking out by week one. It is the only FDA-approved treatment specifically studied in patients with symptomatic nOH. While NORTHERA® might not be right for everyone, patients with a neurodegenerative condition can help their doct
