No case of arthritis is the same. The sun may trigger symptoms for one person but relieve them for another. While warmer weather can reduce joint pain, people with arthritis can experience more pain and fatigue in the warmer months because many are more active and prone to overdoing it.
Just as the effects of weather vary, the best climate may not be the same for all people. 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.
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. But there are steps you can take to manage your symptoms and stay active.
Yep, the same overactive immune system that attacks your joints — and the medications used to treat these diseases — may make you more sensitive to sunlight. This means that many people with inflammatory arthritis need to take extra precautions when it comes to the sun, especially during summer.
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).
This study showed that cold, damp conditions lead to elevated pain levels in people with arthritis, while dry, hot conditions tend to cause less discomfort.
What season makes arthritis worse? While many find that winter is the worst season for their arthritis, summer can also be a doozy. Both seasons see increases in air pressure — summer from the hike in humidity and winter from the cold.
Health Care Providers: Improving Your Arthritis Patients' Health. Counsel for low-impact physical activities—Walking, biking, swimming, and water activities are all good non-drug ways to ease arthritis pain and are safe for most adults. These forms of exercise can also improve joint function and improve mood.
Studies suggest autumn may be the sweet spot for RA while winter and spring are the most challenging. A recent study found that humidity made pain worse, especially in colder weather. Another study linked sunny, dry days to less pain and joint swelling.
Another idea: Changes in barometric pressure may make your tendons, muscles, and any scar tissue expand and contract, and that can create pain in joints affected by arthritis. Low temperatures can also make the fluid inside joints thicker, so they feel stiffer.
People with arthritis often say that they can predict the weather based on how their joints feel. Some notice their pain and stiffness flares up in the cold and wet winter months, while others find hot and humid summer weather can make symptoms worse.
Before it rains, barometric pressure tends to decrease. When this happens, there's less air pressure exerting itself on your body, which may allow muscles, tendons and other tissue surrounding the joints to expand. The expansion may crowd the joints, putting extra pressure on them, which may lead to pain.
Many people who have arthritis or a related disease may be living with chronic pain. Pain is chronic when it lasts three to six months or longer, but arthritis pain can last a lifetime. It may be constant, or it may come and go.
Countries with the most cases included China, with 132.81 million; India, with 62.36 million; and the United States, with 51.87 million.
Don't push yourself too hard — that can overwork muscles and make joint pain worse. Consider these tips: Keep the impact low. Low-impact exercises help keep joint stress low while you move.
Nearly a third of adults with arthritis are physically inactive. Yet a CDC study shows that severe joint pain is more common among adults with arthritis who are physically inactive. Physical inactivity is more common among adults with arthritis who live in states in the Southeast and are disabled or unable to work.
Arthritis is not just limited to older adults.
Among adults aged 65 and older, 50% report ever having been diagnosed with arthritis. Among adults aged 45 to 65 years, 31% report ever having been diagnosed with arthritis. Among adults aged 18 to 45 years, 7% report ever having been diagnosed with arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lifespan
In the study, the median survival rate for healthy adults was approximately 82 years while the median survival rate for people with RA was approximately 77 years.
Fatigue is a major symptom of many conditions, such as arthritis – often it's as much of a problem as pain and inflammation. But it's an invisible symptom and a lot of people avoid talking about it because they think their family, friends and colleagues won't understand.
Consuming high-purine foods like shellfish or beer, becoming dehydrated, experiencing sudden changes in kidney function, or local trauma to a joint (like stubbing your big toe) can also trigger flares. Taking urate-lowering medicines should lessen the likelihood of having a flare due to these triggers.
The main difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is the cause behind the joint symptoms. Osteoarthritis is caused by mechanical wear and tear on joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's own immune system attacks the body's joints. It may begin any time in life.