I know many people say they have painful joints when it's cold and damp in the winter months, but I'm wondering whether this hot spell is behind this awful flare I'm currently experiencing... I'm interested to hear from anyone of their own weather-related experiences - can you predict a storm by the way your joints feel? Are your fingers or knees like a personal barometer?! 🌞🌥🌧⛈
Weather related RA symptoms: I know many people say... - NRAS
Weather related RA symptoms
Written by
WillowsMother
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71 Replies
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Yes it could be. I struggle in hot weather to, particularly with high humidity. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that it is high humidity and not hot or cold that is problematic. For instance, we go to Cyprus for a holiday every couple of years. It is hot but the humidity is low and I have no problems at all.
Interesting...
High humidity seems to be the problem for me too - combined with heat is the worst. 😌
I have been very vocal on this subject and many on here will agree that when we have hot humid weather I’m the first to moan about it. 😁 I swell up like a puff ball mushroom I’m stiff and my mobility is so limited. On top I can’t sleep yes I have fans etc but the atmospheric pressure that I can’t control.... roll on winter. Many on here suffer with hot humid weather double swelling on the joints .. use to love hot weather 🥺 I know when it’s coming the niggles and swelling start. Sudden drop in temperature or dramatic change in weather I know about it I get achy but it’s the hot humid weather that causes me the most problems
WillowsMother• in reply to
Agh, it's awful, isn't it? This is all new to me. I was only diagnosed 2 years ago (symptoms for at least 2 years before that) but never experienced such a dramatic response to the heat/humidity. Add that to hot flushes, and it's one big hot mess!! 🙈 Glad to hear I'm not alone but sorry to hear you and others are suffering. This really sucks.
Yes hot humid weather and I am swelling and don't feel great. Again if the pressure changes in the weather quickly my joints let me know. I know consultants don't always agree (mine doesn't), but I've had RD for over 18 years and it has always been this way for me.
Do you get puffy ankles when you fly? I wonder if it's related, as the cabin pressure rises and drops very quickly. It feels like that's what's going on now but in all my joints 😪
I never used to but my feet this year have swelled up and my shoes (apart from a dog eared pair) don't fit.
Oh that's miserable. Can you manage with flip flops or velcro fastening sandals?
Thanks, I'm just grateful I can get one pair on. I'm not good on my feet so flip flops would be unsafe. I've got a pair of velcro sandals somewhere so will see if they will do.
Yes, I thought that might be the case with flip flops. My feet still swell terribly in velcro sandals and I can't wait to get them off when I can, but they're the best option at the moment. Good luck with yours!
Thanks x
Try FitFlops... they’re so comfortable!! They do sandals, mules, shoes, slippers and boots. Honestly they give me great relief.
I showed my mangled old pair to my podiatrist and she now recommends them to others.
• in reply toPippy25
I haven’t pair that fit today . My feet are so swollen the skin is shiny🥵
Pippy25• in reply to
Take care as they sound similar to mine today.
WillowsMother• in reply to
Sorry to hear that, it's just miserable! Have you tried soaking them in a bowl of cool/cold water?
• in reply toWillowsMother
Ice cold water as I type 🙄😁
If you put 'weather' into the search box, you should get the many previous posts on this subject!
I hate the humid weather which makes my joints swell and increases the pain. And yes, I think I can predict rain!
Like the old adage, "I can feel it in my bones"!
Me too!! Who needs weather forecasters...?!! I’m usually more accurate
😂😂
For me, it's damp and/or cold. So humidity is bad! Today is my first achey day in ages and it's a billion degrees and sunny.
Def the humidity 4me - I enjoy heat up to abt 26C, but dry heat! Where I am nowadays {N. Ireland] doesn't have the heatof Wessex... but abt a week ago I was stung by a bee which was in my shoe... not a twinge since even tho' my infusion's overdue... reminds me of people at home who would visit bees, or grasp nettles to ease their 'pains'...
Wow, that's amazing... although I don't think I'd want to get stung on purpose 🙈
Yep. Allotment nettles do the trick 😂
Wow! Is it just a distraction from the pain, or is it linked to an immune response? I hate getting stung by stinging nettles, the rash seems to hurt for at least 48 hours!
Hi WillowsMother
Not sure of the science behind this one. Something to do with histamine I guess 😐
Interesting... I shall do a bit of research!
I found this: healthline.com/nutrition/be...
And this: "Nettle leaves are covered in tiny hairs which have a high silicon content, meaning they’re extremely brittle. When the leaf touches your skin, the round tips of the hairs break off. The sharp point of the hair then enters your skin and several chemicals, including histamine and serotonin, are produced. These chemicals can help to reduce pain by stimulating pain neurons, so the skin irritation overrides musculoskeletal pain."
Well done. Impressed you researched it.
It is interesting isn’t it?
Yes, fascinating! I'm still not tempted though!!
We have two allotments... and nettles!! I regularly get stung and although I wouldn’t say it’s a pleasant experience, it certainly isn’t unpleasant either...
... it takes all sorts...😂😂
Wow! I absolutely hate getting stung... we have a small holding with lots of nettles around every corner, waiting to catch me out!! I've tried all sorts of remedies but only lemon juice seems to make it a bit easier. Maybe I have particularly sensitive skin 😂
• in reply toWillowsMother
I have noticed since I’ve been on medication for Ra. I’m much more sensitive to stings etc where I use to get stung the irritation soon goes but now the stinging and rash lasts days.
WillowsMother• in reply to
Interesting... there must be an explanation! Something to do with the immune response, I imagine. I'm becoming a bit phobic now I've experienced it a few times.
I’m in a flare at the moment which has gone on for a few weeks gradually getting worse. Very unusual for me to last so long. My joints have swelled up badly. My back & ribs have joined in for the first time ever. Sleep is difficult because of the pain +the heat ☹️ I can’t take painkillers so it’s a bugger 😡.
For me it’s extreme weather. My consultant agrees about the cold 🥶 but not the heat. ☀️ Well hello I think we can all put him right on that score. I can’t tell when the weather is going to change tho.
Today I’ve given in & sat with my feet up drinking water with a good book. Just as the guys on here told me to do & it works. 😊
Poor you, I totally sympathise! I've been sitting with my feet up watching Netflix all day and sipping water through a straw because my hands are too sore to raise a glass to my mouth. This is day three of barely being able to move. Praying it'll go away soon. 🙏
Was diagnosed in February so not sure about winter weather really but I I do hate extremes of temperature and this humidity has made me feel worse
Sorry to hear that. It's a small consolation to know we're not alone... x
I'm wondering whether anyone has air conditioning in their house? Does it make a difference to keep the room you're in nice and cool? Maybe you'd need a de-humidifier too? The noise would be quite something, but at this point, I'm considering anything not to be so incapacitated every summer.
Unfortunately for me air conditioners would only trigger off my nerve neuralgia....RD or RA as people call it is the gift that keeps giving. I think it's the gift that we would all dearly return with pleasure any day if we could!
Yes, I'd be very happy indeed to return the gift/break the curse! That's a shame for you about air conditioners. I'm thinking of getting one that has a very low/gentle setting, just to keep the temperature in one room around a comfortable 18-20 degrees. I'm okay with our car's "climate control" so that's a hopeful sign... it's probably a bit late for this year though.
• in reply toWillowsMother
I went to Rhodes last year . Never again I honestly thought I would die. Stayed in the room with air conditioning. Helped with the heat but not the atmospheric pressure so I still had swelling and mobility problems.🥺 soon as landed home it was like a switch changed everything no swelling and mobility so much better.
WillowsMother• in reply to
Well if that's not proof, I don't know what is! It's interesting that many Rheumatologists aren't that bothered about the various triggers. I guess they just focus on getting the medication right to deal with the errant immune response, whilst leaving us focus on discovering and if possible, avoiding the triggers.
I react badly to high humidity. I find air conditioning deadly for RA, however, dehumidifiers are a life saver. Several years ago during a spell of high humidity, I spent half an hour in a climate controlled room with a super computer - low humidity. I hobbled into the room in agony and half an hour later walked out pain free for the first time in weeks. I have a portable dehumidifier at home, which greatly improves things when the humidity is high.
That's very good to hear! I have a small dehumidifier, I wonder whether it's powerful enough. Worth a try, anyway.
I have a small electronic device which, as well as temperature, tells me the humidity in the house. If the humidity reaches 70 my joints start to react and I find it worth putting the dehumidifier on to bring the humidity down to below 65. I still get RA for other reasons - often no discernible reason at all - but any reduction in the number of days I ache the better.
Sounds good! Thanks for the tip!
Used to have a portable one, about the size of a small tumble drier. After a few years we stopped using it - can’t remember exactly why. We got rid of it in the end. I don’t really like air con. It’s too cold for me.
I don’t like the car air con either, it’s ok for about the first ten minutes or so when you get in if it’s very hot outside (and inside) but I hate it blowing in my face - it’s too cold, even if I regulate it so that it’s not all that cold if you know what I mean and it totally dries out my already dry eyes.
I know what you mean. I'm wondering whether there are different types of air conditioning units that aren't so fierce/drying. I'm going to do some research and I'll post anything interesting/useful on here.
no, never would, hate the feel of it and keep wondering how many allergens are being put in the room. BUT many years ago we spent long summers in a Greek island and kept cool by spray fights ... simple spray bottles and cool water from fridge. An expat resident told me she folded her sheet and kept it in the fridge to be sure of some night time cool !!! June - end Sept a sheet over you was all I cd bear...in the 80s - 90s [years] and temps of 40+.
Yes definitely, high humidity. It defies logic in a way, but no one has told my body that!!
It’s awful, but at least it makes me appreciate how good I am feeling in general when it’s not humid.
It won’t last! Autumn is just around the corner x
Can't wait! 😃
Humidity is a big factor for me in terms of increased swelling of my joints. I have Raynaud’s too so cold weather really impacts on that. I’m a hard person to please when it comes to the weather. 😊 x
Oh dear, so it sounds like early Autumn and late Spring are a good bet then...
Sorry for the late reply but I have to agree with all the others. Not much swelling but I'm a walking ache at the moment and the bits that don't ache don't want to work. I know it's humidity that does it as if it's too dry the asthma kicks in. Happy days eh?
Contrary to what I always thought - I now find that hot weather is just as bad as cold, damp weather. I always thought heat was the answer but it seems it isn’t. I think I probably swell up in hot weather which doesn’t help. Nothing is ever easy!
I couldn’t say but in my case it’s a distinct possibility. After being completely symptom free for years while on MTX (had to stop - low white blood cells) then Plaquenil, I’m now experiencing stiffness, pain & immobility so P isn’t working as well as before. Will research topic & post my findings. Interesting..
Oh yes please do!
I am having the worst flare at the moment for ages, I am in so much pain
Sorry to hear that. It's really miserable isn't it?
Me too. Much more pain and much less mobility... and I’m my Rheumatology department’s ‘walking miracle’...
Now the weather is breaking, it does feel a little bit easier. Is it the same for you? The only way I've managed to get out of bed or off the sofa in the last few days has to up my dose of prednisolone, which I absolutely hate taking 😕
I am from India but based out of London from the past 7 years . You’d think I’d be used to scorching summers but it’s the opposite . I was out of India from last 12 years - so I can never survive Indian summer. I have swollen knee joints and ankles at the moment - started on Friday and increasing gradually . Unable to sleep during nights and fan / AC make my pains even worse . Lot of people say that heat helps but any extreme - and my body stops functioning. It’s crazy - I think I prefer rains / winter now than to these gruelling summer days. Yes, I can predict rain and any change in weather - 18 years since I was diagnosed. I hope everyone finds some comfort and praying that rains are round the corner.
Dont know if this is a help, but i have a heat exchanger on my wall which will regulate accurately to any temperature you want, it is remote controlled and heats as well as cools . You often see these in restaurants it was not expensive but needs to be wired in. It is not noisy and i bought it to regulate an over hot conservatory which I can now use all the year round.
Sopsx
Thanks, sounds interesting! Does it have an external box for the cooling part, like an air conditioning unit has?
Yes it does. Mine is in my conservatory and fits over the doors on the wall, with the box outside. I keep the remote by my chair and away i go.
When my family visit for Christmas, we have lunch in there and the room is then used all year round, it is made by Toshiba and i have had it for about 10 years.
Sopsx
Thanks!! I'm motivated to sort one out for next year... x
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