Anyone else hate the Sun?

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bluegoatwoods

Active Member
Jul 29, 2012
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Central Illinois
I suppose I ought to be careful that I don't go soliciting medical advice. I know you guys aren't doctors. Though maybe a few? In any case I am searching for info, but won't try to hold anyone responsible for whatever they can offer.

As a kid I kinda disliked the Sun. But it wasn't too bad. I can remember, though, about the time of adulthood it was getting to be a drag. And the last couple of decades it's gotten worse.

Now I'm getting into my early-mid fifties and it's gotten unbearable. I sometimes wear double sunglasses. From late May to mid October it feels like a Martian death ray. I'm very sensitive to both glare in my eyes and the feeling of being beaten down by the Sun's rays. But it's also a temperature thing because I'm not comfortable even at night in the summer. I can be okay at about 70 deg as long as I'm holding still. As far as normal activity goes, upper 70s is getting to be a problem and I'm suffering above 80 deg.

A couple of days ago is an example of just how sensitive to warmth I am. It was a sunny day, but the high temp only reached the mid 50s. I was working in a room that faced the Sun. I wasn't working very hard either. Not strenuous. The thermostat in the room read 68. I thought it seemed warmer, but I reckon it was accurate enough. I didn't get far before I realized that I was warming up. I even stopped and rested. But before long I had the feeling of sweat building on my skin. And the light, almost nauseous stomach plus the trembling limbs. What I think of as 'heat sickness'. A bit later I moved to the shade side of the building and that was better. Though I still didn't feel really well the rest of the day.

This would seem to be an extreme reaction to conditions that others would think of as being not very warm at all.

It is getting so bad that I've been finding myself tempted to try to find a 3rd shift job so that I could just sleep when the Sun is up. I've found myself tempted to retire and sleep during the day and watch the stars at night. In a few more years I could think of retirement. But that would be ten years early and it would be a very thin retirement. I'm afraid that I won't be able to resist.

For what it's worth, it's not that I'm all that resistant to cold. Though nowadays I prefer winter to summer, I'm still a cold weather wimp. I've learned tricks to make it bearable. But amongst all the people I've run around with over the years I tended to be one of the weaker ones about withstanding cold.

It seems as though my internal thermostat just can't adjust very far in either direction.

No one else I know suffers this badly from spring until fall. So how about you guys? Anyone have the same trouble or has heard anything about a condition like this and what might be done about it?

If anything. I can only hope.
 

fatdaddy

New Member
May 4, 2011
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San Jose, Ca.
I'm 59, and anything over 65 degrees is getting hot.BUT I LOVE the cold weather,50 degrees or less is fine with me. I used to do better in the heat, 20 years ago. I usually sleep with windows and doors open,I can do that , there's a pitbull in the house.
fatdaddy.
 

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2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
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Actually I love the sun, always have, probably always will. I was born and raised in south Florida and lived a good portion of my life in sunshine. However, I'm paying for it now. I have reoccurring skin problems which the docs say is due to excessive exposure to sunshine. I go in every six months for treatments to remove pre-cancerous growths from my skin and scalp.

When the sun isn't out, I'm in a bad mood. When, like today in Denver, there wasn't a cloud in the sky..I'm happy. Skin cancer? I'll deal with it, but dark cloudy days? I want to hide.

What do the doctors say about your condition, Blue?

Tom
 

bluegoatwoods

Active Member
Jul 29, 2012
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Central Illinois
I'm actually not the type to see doctors, so I haven't asked.

But as a matter of fact, I did get a physical about a month ago. I think it was my first doctor visit in 30 years. I had to re-introduce myself to my doctor. And we only knew each other because he had treated my children somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty years ago.

I ended up getting a couple of pre-cancerous skin lesions removed too, for that matter. Anyway I didn't ask him about this because it wasn't really at the forefront of my mind at the time. I need to go back in a couple of weeks to get the spots frozen. I'll make it a point to ask him about it.

But I kinda don't expect to get much of an answer. One of the reasons I haven't bothered with seeing a doctor regularly is that I've watched too many people pursuing the doctors hoping for the cure for some tenuous malady that they suffer from or imagine that they're suffering from. It's not the doctor's fault that they can't pinpoint a cause. But the fact is, they can't.

So I'm just not much of a doctor person. But who knows? Maybe he'll be able to spot some cause and I can hope for relief.

Pablo! You say that guys like me might do well in the Pacific Northwest? That has occurred to me as well. I should've been born in a more cloudy part of the world.
 

xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
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OKC, OK
Pablo! You say that guys like me might do well in the Pacific Northwest? That has occurred to me as well. I should've been born in a more cloudy part of the world.

Hmmm.....why do you think they invented motorized bicycles??!! :D


Winter has always suited me more than Summer. A good, crisp day just makes me smile.
 

Pablo

Master Bike Builder & Forum Sponsor
Dec 28, 2007
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Duvall, WA PNW
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Thing is here, when the sun comes out you really appreciate it. We've had London fog for four days straight. I kid you not. No rain, just fog. Actually a bit odd, even for here.

I can't stand dry places. I can visit the desert for a day or two, but my sinus and stuff just get too dry. It did burn off in Redmond today, supposed to clear here tomorrow. Sunny and 64°F
 

xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
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OKC, OK
When I lived in Fresno, CA, the fog would roll in late fall/early winter ---- so thick you couldn't see 100ft. It would last for weeks at a time........
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
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Indianapolis
I once got a couple arc-welding lenses and a rather thick looking pair of old glasses that had black side-shields. And I used my jeweler's saw to cut the lenses to fit a template I made from the glasses' lenses. (Jeweler's saws take forever, I tell ya.) I then put my new lenses in the frames. Had 'em about a year before a friend busted 'em during a move.
 

FMB42

New Member
Sep 27, 2013
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Idaho
I used to do fine in hot sunny weather. But now, in my mid '50s, I seem to like Fall, Winter, and Spring more than high Summer. I've always been one to sweat a lot, and now it's worse than ever. Also noticed that my eyes are also more sensitive to the sun (it's so bad that I finally gave up wearing low-cost, "no big deal if I lose them" sunglasses in favor of higher quality brands).

So, do I hate the sun? Well, no. But I'm getting there.

Not sure what I'll do if arthritis sets in tho...
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
Blue Goat, had never heard of that so did the google thing. Some really interesting stuff came up and most importantly some treatments that might help. The name of this is not a fear thing, but medical. Would be sure to ask your doc. (write it down and bring with you)

Really sounds miserable.

https://www.google.com/search?q=adv...q=aversion+and+discomfort+to+sunlight&spell=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photophobia

https://www.google.com/search?q=Pho...57&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8
 

CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
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Vancouver, B.C.
You should come visit the we(s)t coast.. I've heard of this thing you call a 'sun', but we rarely see it from October until March.. (day 10 of Fogtober right now - about 7 years ago the fog set in here and lasted about three months, I'm told). When it's nice, it's paradise.. from April or so until early October it's usually around 25ºC (77ºF) at most. If it rains in the morning, it'll be a beautiful afternoon. Well, the locals call it rain.. I call it drizzle (when it's at it's strongest coming down). The breeze either comes in from the pacific or down from the mountains, depending on the time of day.

(One other thing... it also doesn't snow here more than maybe 2 days a year.) (^)
 
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Intrepid Wheelwoman

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Oct 29, 2011
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Hauraki District, New Zealand
I have Myalgic encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and as I've got older I've noticed that my eyes are much more sensitive to light. I have the brightness on my computer and laptop screens turned way down in order to comfortably use them and it wasn't until my daughter (who does software development) was showing me something one day on her own screen and I could barely look at it that I realised I had a problem.
My glasses are fitted with self darkening lenses for which I bless the name of the inventor of such wonderful things everyday. During Summer I simply couldn't go outside without my glasses on and sometimes when it is very bright out I'll wear dark glasses as well which does look a bit odd, but it works for me :) (I wear the dark glasses behind my prescription lenses)
At first I thought it was the much higher UV levels we sometimes have here in New Zealand due to the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica, but the back lights on my computer screens have nothing to do with ozone layer holes and it was that which made me aware of the problem.

I do find myself being more active with doing things outside towards the evening or on cloudy days when the light outside isn't so harsh, My doctor prescribes me additional Vitamin D medication as with my problem with light as well as my fully covered mode of dress due to my religious convictions my vitamin D levels are right down at the bottom end of the normal range.
 

KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
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Phoenix,AZ
Actually your symptoms are not unlike being allergic to the sun, polymorphic light eruption, also known as sun poisoning.

I live in Phoenix, AZ and have for over 40 years and am also in my early-mid 50's but far from allergic to it, I love it.

We have some of the best cancer and rare disease centers on the planet here like the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale and here is their take on sun poisoning after years here treating people with sun related problems.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sun-allergy/DS01178

The summers are starting to get to me, I do my best to hibernate indoors through those couple of months but right now in Fall and next spring are the awesome times.
Most would say winter is best but I don't like the cold at all and don't like to even visit snow anymore.

Anyway I don't know if that link will help but it is sure one heck of place to look at.