Prolonged exposure to sunlight without protection can be harmful to anyone, but for those with conditions like arthritis, it can be especially damaging, and it may trigger a flare-up.
The Bright Side
Sun helps the body synthesize vitamin D, which is essential for bone health and a well-functioning immune system; vitamin D deficiency has been linked to autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
If you have arthritis, summer heat and humidity can increase your joint pain and make daily activities a challenge. Many people who have arthritis feel more discomfort as the weather changes throughout the year.
“The basic idea of sun poisoning is that it's a sunburn that affects systemic systems,” explains John G. Zampella, M.D., dermatologist at NYU Langone Health. “Meaning, it's a sunburn that causes you to have flu-like symptoms, which could be fever, chills, joint pain, muscle aches, or anything like that.
But based on research, it appears that for most people with arthritis, a warmer, drier climate may be optimal, such as that in parts of Texas, Arizona, Nevada and the Eastern Sierra region of California.
During times of rain and snow, the temperature drops and barometric pressure decreases. This can cause fluid in the joints to thicken, which makes them stiffer. If you have stiff joints, you may be more sensitive to pain during movement, making arthritis pain seem worse.
The most common triggers of an OA flare are overdoing an activity or trauma to the joint. Other triggers can include bone spurs, stress, repetitive motions, cold weather, a change in barometric pressure, an infection or weight gain. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory disease that affects the skin and joints.
Both heat and cold therapy may help ease symptoms of arthritis. Heat may help relieve aches and stiffness, while cold therapy may help ease swelling and pain. Applying heat or cold to affected parts of the body may help relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of arthritis.
Heat and Joint Pain
While cold weather can increase aching, warm weather typically increases swelling and pain. This means that the increased pressure and humidity outdoors can increase the expansion of joints, tendons, muscles, and even scar tissue, leaving many of us with previous injuries in pain.
It's common for people with osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis (for example, rheumatoid arthritis) to link weather with their pain. While most cite damp, rainy, and/or cold weather as worsening their joint pain, some people note their joint pain is worse with hot weather.
Genetics and Inherited Traits
People born with specific genes are more likely to develop certain types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and ankylosing spondylitis. These genes are called HLA (human leukocyte antigen) class II genotypes.
Vitamins D and K are both important for bone strength, and vitamin K is involved in cartilage structure. Supplementing these two nutrients may be helpful if you're deficient in them.
Sun and high temperatures often increase the potential for flares. When ultraviolet (UV) light hits your skin, it naturally causes inflammation and sets up a chain reaction of symptoms. Sun and high temperatures often increase the potential for flares.
Studies also have found that a lack of vitamin D is linked to rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease characterized by swollen, aching joints and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.
Statistically, it does seem that more people experience arthritis-related pain when the winter arrives. A 2013 study from Spain found 50- to 65-year-old patients with rheumatoid arthritis were 16% more likely to report a flare-up when temperatures dropped below average.
But whether it's mild or severe, you can take some steps to ease the joint pain and swelling by resting it, applying an ice or heat pack and taking an over-the-counter analgesic, like acetaminophen (Tylenol), or NSAID, like ibuprofen or naproxen.
If you have arthritis, participating in joint-friendly physical activity can improve your arthritis pain, function, mood, and quality of life. Joint-friendly physical activities are low-impact, which means they put less stress on the body, reducing the risk of injury.
Use hot and cold therapy. Heat and cold treatments can help relieve arthritis pain and inflammation. Heat treatments can include taking a long, warm shower or bath in the morning to help ease stiffness and using an electric blanket or moist heating pad to reduce discomfort overnight.
In general, the first sign of arthritis is pain, also called arthralgia. This can feel like a dull ache or a burning sensation. Often, pain starts after you've used the joint a lot, for example, if you've been gardening or if you just walked up a flight of stairs. Some people feel soreness first thing in the morning.
Many people with arthritis say fatigue is one of their biggest challenges. Fatigue can be linked to many types of arthritis and related conditions. It's commonly a symptom of autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis and lupus.
Which Weather Conditions Are Worst? If you combine results of the various studies, the general consensus is that cold, wet weather is the worst for inciting arthritis pain.
Once you understand it, take the proper action to protect yourself. For many people, arthritis symptoms seem to get worse in the summer months, and there's a good reason for that.