I know this is may sound a stupid question, but it is one that genuinely interests me: Why does our arthritis act up in very cold weather despite the fact we stay hot and snug inside our homes? I don’t understand this. Last week we had snow and ice and the arthritis flare broke through the biologics quite a bit. But I didn’t venture outside hardly all week. So if my heating is turned up and I’m nice and warm, why does it play my arthritis up?!
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I once asked my rheumatologist exactly that. Her answer was succinct. “I don’t know. It just does.”
OK then.
LOL
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Glad we’re not the only one who doesn’t get it!
Hmmmm. Maybe it’s the dry air and the barometric pressure.
maybe. i have no idea. just seems really weird. but then it doesn’t happen during the summer - but i guess the air isnt as dry then. i dunno.
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I thought this too. We’re composed of so much liquid of various sorts. Maybe atmospheric pressure affects synovial fluid?
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I thrived in the dry snow darinfan and was felled by the thaw. Once the thaw set in my foot and hand swelled right up. Both are settling again now. Dry is always better for me, and dry cold is better than dry heat. Guess our bodies just don’t like big weather changes.
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My bf seems to think my (extra) pain is from the weather… whenever I complain of more pain he says well duh! Look it’s raining… Or look it’s so much hotter/colder then before…
The research about this mostly looks at if people go see their doctor more often on the big weather changing days… But why would we go see a doctor when we know what’s wrong it’s just a bit worse?..
The problem with other types of testing (asking people to log their pain etc) is that you can’t do it blind…(without locking people inside without being able to see outside for long enough periods that the weather changes happen…).
Everyone can see the weather… and then we do have flares that have nothing to do with the weather as well… or no flare on a bad rain day…
So I’m doubting if we’ll ever get further then we all feel like the weather affects us and other people look at us thinking we are saying we can predict the future…
I have read a theory about this somewhere, but I can’t remember if it was scientifically backed up by anything.
I was interested because most of the cold-climate folks seem to have problems in the cold / rain, whereas for me (sub-tropics), it was just as often an issue when we got really humid, hot weather.
Seems like low pressure systems often drive both, so there might be something in the barometric pressure dropping and allowing our synovium to expand, and taking off the constraining pressure (think of it as a splint) around our joints. I get it when I fly for long periods too, though I’ve never figured out if that’s due to the drop in pressure, or some other variable (reduced oxygen, jet lag etc).
As Cynthia says, nearly impossible to prove, but makes for interesting speculation at 4am when I can’t sleep!
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My guess would be - vitamin D. We get less of a direct sunshine, that is less vitamin D. The vitamin has a role in immune system and inflammation reduction. That doesn’t really explain day to day worsening, but is my only clue to general worsening during winter.
I always know when the barometric pressure is gonna change. The pain always breaks thru the biologic. Cold and humidity kill me. It may be hard to prove scientifically but body proves it every time the weather changes especially extreme weather changes.
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I have no idea but I know I’m a human barometer. The shattered humerus being held together with a cerclage gets daggone sore in cold damp weather.
As of two weeks ago, I also have to be concerned with how the weather is going to affect the asthma. Part of that is all the dust in the air in my little town–the largest office building in the state was imploded on Sunday. Our house is about a mile away and my lungs are feeling it. Other than coughing stirring up my back, the PsA is (thankfully) quiet right now.
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