Summertime calls, inviting us to enjoy long days and warm temperatures. Across the country, people are answering that call, venturing out to enjoy the season. How will you spend this summer? Hiking or camping in the great outdoors? Sitting poolside or in the audience of your favorite band as they play their first post-COVID show? Maybe your summer will be spent on the back of a motorcycle or jet ski for summertime fun with a little horsepower. However, you spend your days, for summertime revelers with a prosthesis, the warm temperature of the season and the abundance of activities done in the elements pose unique challenges. Summertime with a prosthesis is no fun if heat and fit issues keep you from fully enjoying yourself.

The Season of Sweat

Summers are hot, and heat means sweat for most people. Unfortunately, sweating can cause issues for amputees because excess moisture may cause the prosthesis to slip, resulting in rubbing, chaffing, and/or blistering. Certain preventative measures are key to enjoying summertime with a prosthesis, and while you can’t necessarily stop sweating, you can manage it more effectively if you are prepared. Keep a towel and clean socks on hand in order to keep your residual limb dry and minimize chaffing. Also, consider the use of a prosthetic antiperspirant as another tool against summer sweat slippage.

How Heat Affects Fit

The heat of summer can physically affect the size of our bodies, especially the limbs. If you are spending your summertime with a prosthesis in an area of high heat, high humidity, or high altitudes, the body can swell, and residual limbs can feel like they are uncomfortably tight inside the socket. On the flip side, hot temperatures can also cause excessive perspiration that can result in residual limb shrinkage. Either way, the prosthesis is no longer optimally fitted to the residual limb which can increase the risk of irritation and chaffing. In the summertime, keep prosthetic socks handy to help with minor adjustments, and always talk to your prosthetist about your summertime plans. A special summer consultation can help identify and resolve fit issues resulting in a more comfortable and enjoyable summer season.

If you’re making plans for the summer, have questions about the fit of your prosthesis, or want to talk to a prosthetist about ensuring optimal fit and care of your prosthesis during summertime activities, contact the team at Kenney Orthopedics today. Summertime heat does not have to equal summertime discomfort or pain! Kenney Orthopedics has a location across the country including near Lexington, KY; Louisville, KY; Indianapolis, IN; and Charlotte, NC.