As expected here in the desert, the days have been getting warmer and warmer. Yesterday it was about 96° when I went out at 5:15 pm to get the mail. Nice breeze, so it didn’t feel too uncomfortable in the shade.
The real signal to me that the heat has arrived, however, is when I start to break out in hives as happened yesterday for the first time this season. It’s a condition called heat urticaria.
Cold urticaria (essentially meaning cold hives) is a disorder where hives or large red welts form on the skin after exposure to a cold stimulus. Heat urticaria is similar but much less common. I’ve had a mild case of it for years. Anytime I’m subjected to a 20°+ upwards change in temperature, I break out in hives.
In winter this means I break out when I come in from 45° weather to a 70° house. In summer, it means I get it within a few minutes when going from the 78° house to the 95°+ outside. Fortunately I have a very mild case: I do get itchy, red hives over a lot of my body, but as long as I don’t scratch any of them, they’re gone in 15-20 minutes. It could be much worse: as with any allergic reaction, it can cause swelling and breathing trouble.
I just realized this is probably why I’m not a fan of hot tubs. I have to ease into them very, very slowly; I literally just can’t take the heat!
Tuples and Attributes 