Why Summer Heat Drains Your Energy (And What Your Body Is Really Trying to Tell You)

The World's Fair That Changed Everything

Picture this: You're eight years old, just back from an epic camping trip, when your mom wakes you up with surprise news. "Pack light—we're going to the World's Fair!"

That was me, flying up to Spokane, Washington in my dad's single-engine plane, watching the earth shift patterns beneath us like magic. We landed as night fell, blue lights guiding our way.

But here's what I remember most: Spokane was HOT.

My body fought the heat relentlessly. While thousands of people stood sweating in long lines, I had zero desire to join them. Instead, I spent most of that weekend blissfully happy with my feet in a pond, listening to live jazz and eating baskets of delicious fruit.

My parents, bless them, were content letting their young daughter find her own way to stay cool and comfortable.

What I Wish I'd Known Then (That Could Change Your Summer Right Now)

What I didn't understand back then—but know intimately now—is that my heat intolerance might have been an early sign of POTS: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or a variant of autonomic nervous system dysfunction.

Sound familiar? If summer heat leaves you drained, dizzy, or desperate for air conditioning, your body might be sending you important signals.

The Hidden Stress Response That's Exhausting You

Here's what's really happening: Your autonomic nervous system—the control center for everything your body does automatically—is working overtime.

When subtle things go wrong in your physiology (like not getting enough oxygen to your brain, or your body struggling to regulate when you move up and down), it triggers a stress response. This stress response activates your subconscious mind, which makes everything feel worse and dysregulates your immune system.

It's a cascade effect that leaves you feeling exhausted, even when you can't pinpoint exactly why.

In our post-COVID world, autonomic nervous system dysfunction is more common than ever. Whether you're dealing with:

• Energy that plummets in the heat

• Blood pressure that's too low, too high, or wildly variable

• Heart rate changes when you stand up

• That "wired but tired" feeling

• Subtle signs your body can't regulate properly

You're not alone, and you're not imagining it.

Understanding the Bigger Picture

Here's something important to understand: POTS and low blood pressure aren't diagnoses unto themselves. They're pieces of a larger, more complex puzzle that often includes Long COVID and ME/CFS.

But here's the empowering part: Through understanding what's happening in your body, you gain tools. Knowledge truly is power, and you are absolutely unique. Understanding how YOUR body works is an incredibly powerful step forward in your healing journey.

When you know what's happening, you can work WITH your body instead of against it.

Take Control: The At-Home Test That Could Change Everything

Want to know if you have POTS? There's a clinically valid test you can do at home called the NASA Lean Test—and it's considered as accurate as a tilt table test for diagnosing POTS.

Your POTS Detective Kit:

• The NASA Lean Test printout (link below)

• An automatic blood pressure cuff (~$50 on Amazon)

• A supportive friend or family member to help track numbers

• 20 minutes of uninterrupted time

Insider tip from the clinic: Do the full 20-minute test, not just 10 minutes. Many of us working with Long COVID and ME/CFS patients see significant heart rate changes after the 10-minute mark—and yes, this absolutely counts as positive.

Get the test here: NASA Lean Test Instructions

Recommended BP monitor: Konquest KBP-2704A Automatic Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor