How does the weather affect arthritis?

Weather of Arabia - Some people with arthritis notice that their symptoms worsen during certain times of the year. Seasonal weather changes may lead to severe episodes of the disease during the winter, spring or summer months, so how does the change of seasons affect the symptoms of arthritis?

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is a general term that refers to some conditions that affect the movement and nature of the joints, or the tissues around the joint. There are several types of arthritis, most of which cause pain, stiffness, and joint stiffness.

The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, caused by repetitive motion, and rheumatoid arthritis , an autoimmune disease that occurs when an overactive immune system attacks the lining of the joints (synovium). Chronic can also affect the functioning of the immune system, and damage some internal organs of the body.

Arthritis bouts

People with arthritis may have temporary episodes during which the symptoms of the disease become more severe, including: fever, fatigue, and joint pain, stiffness or swelling. Sometimes the cause of the attacks is not known, but most of them can be linked to some triggers, such as:

• food
• Infections or other medical problems
• The person's mood and stress level
• Increase physical activity
• the weather

How can the weather cause arthritis attacks?

Arthritis patients describe their ability to predict the weather by changing the severity of their symptoms, and there is a lot of anecdotal evidence about the relationship between arthritis symptoms and weather, with some patients feeling more pain in cold, rainy weather than in warm, dry weather.

Large studies on the effects of weather on arthritis are few, however, there is some scientific evidence to suggest that weather and seasonal climate changes affect arthritis symptoms , and there are several theories explaining why this link exists. These theories include the following reasons:

Atmospheric pressure

Some studies show an association between atmospheric pressure and arthritis pain. Patients with osteoarthritis of the hip corroborated the effect of atmospheric pressure and relative humidity on their symptoms.

There is a theory that explains that changes in atmospheric pressure during a cold front lead to contraction and expansion of tendons, muscles, bones and affected tissues, causing pain.

the rain

Many arthritis patients feel a worsening of symptoms before and during rainy days. The drop in pressure often precedes cold, rainy weather. This decrease in pressure may cause the inflamed tissues to stretch, leading to increased pain. This means that the weather does not cause or worsen arthritis. It can get worse, but it can temporarily make your symptoms worse or worse.

temperature

Low temperatures can thicken joint fluid, making joints stiffer and more difficult to move.

The relationship of weather to an individual's activity and mood

People tend to be less active in cold weather, which exacerbates symptoms, and harsh weather dampens a person's mood, which in turn exacerbates arthritis symptoms.