“Many people say their joint stiffness gets worse in very hot weather, and that may be at least partly related to fluid retention,” says Dr Carol Cooper, GP with an interest in rheumatology. “Keeping cool, staying in the shade and wearing natural fabrics can help.
There are some studies that suggest changes in temperature will change the fluid in your body, reducing lubrication of your joints and increasing pain and inflammation. In addition to the heat depleting these fluids, being dehydrated, which often happens during the summer, is also a contributor to joint pain.
Many report that humidity, along with other factors such as temperature and weather changes and weather patterns, increase joint pain or trigger arthritis flares. For some, humidity and weather's effect on their joints is so bothersome that they seek relief by moving to drier, temperate climates.
For arthritis symptoms, high temperatures and humidity can reduce the level or thickness of fluid around your joints, which can cause pain. Similarly, tendons, ligaments, and muscles can expand in humid weather, which puts more pressure on the joints.
Warm, dry climates may allow some people with arthritis to feel better, but there is no climate that is an arthritis-free zone. Some people with arthritis may be more physically sensitive to temperature change, barometric pressure, and humidity than others.
3 – MYTH: Cold, wet climates make arthritis worse. FACT: There is no scientific evidence supporting the theory that a particular climate is better for people with arthritis.
“Your joints have pressure receptors. When there is a low-pressure system that brings rain or higher humidity, you are more likely to see your arthritis symptoms worsen,” explains Dr. North.
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.
The relationship between air conditioning and arthritis is a chilly one—arthritis commonly becomes aggravated when the AC is cranked up. If that's not true for you, you're one of the lucky ones! Complicating the matter, air conditioning can slightly reduce the humidity in a room, which may help reduce joint pain.
If you notice mild pain in your joints, then try increasing your water intake to see how the pain is affected. But keep in mind that drinking one glass of water isn't enough. You need to increase your overall water intake each day to give yourself the benefits of hydration over time.
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.
Humidity. 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.
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.
Use of heat, such as applying heating pads to aching joints, taking hot baths or showers, or immersing painful joints in warm paraffin wax, can help relieve pain temporarily. Be careful not to burn yourself. Use heating pads for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
The effect of humidity — moisture in the air — on arthritis pain is worse on wet winter days. For many people with arthritis, summer is a much-needed reprieve. Even when there is some humidity, arthritis pain tends to be better on warmer, sunnier days.
Once the diagnosis of AC joint arthritis has been confirmed, treatment begins with conservative options like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and warm compresses to improve joint mobility. Activity modification and corticosteroid injections may also be helpful.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, frigid temperatures can heighten pain sensitivity, slow blood circulation and cause muscle spasms. To make matters more complex, our joints can detect and respond to changes in barometric pressure (the amount of air pressure in the atmosphere).
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.
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.
The SSA has a list of disabling conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, gout and pseudogout. Evaluation is based largely on how your condition impairs your ability to function, so you may be eligible even if your specific condition isn't listed.
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.
Between 35 and 60% of cases have a genetic component, but many factors can play a role in the development of the condition. Rheumatoid arthritis has a much stronger hereditary component. Researchers have identified specific genes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis that are handed from generation to generation.
During the summer months, the higher temperature and humidity cause us to perspire more and lose more water. The decrease in our body's water volume can cause inflammation. The easy way to get around dehydration-induced joint pain is to simply increase your water intake.