How many times have we heard our grandparents or parents predict a change in the weather just because they had pain in their joints? countless. AND
It is not something false or an invention of the age. The alteration of the meteorological conditions, in particular the drop in temperatures, directly affect one of the most widespread rheumatic diseases among the population, but one of the least known, arthritis.
This serious pathology is defined as a chronic inflammatory disease It affects the joints symmetrically. For example, both wrists.
In arthritis, as time goes by, it can destroy the cartilage and bone within the joint.
In our country Some 200,000 people suffer from this pathology and the majority are women.. It is a disease that usually appears between the ages of 45 and 55.
The most common symptoms among those who suffer from it are pain, swelling, and stiffness, especially upon waking in the morning or after long periods of rest.
And although as the experts clarify cold does not cause arthritis in any caseYes, some climatic factors are capable of increase pain or stiffness.
We mean cold weather, moisture from rain or snow, a drop in barometric pressure, and the typical increase in humidity just before a storm. And it is precisely for these last two reasons why they are so successful when predicting weather changes.
Besides, cold, damp, rain or snow increase pain and stiffness characteristic of this rheumatic pathology. In fact, many patients experience an improvement in discomfort when they move to hot and dry areas.
So these days with negative values are the norm in the thermometers, and the rain has arrived in many areas, osteoarthritis patients may be especially accusing the effects of bad weather.
What is osteoarthritis and why should we not confuse it with arthritis?
We have always heard older people around us say that they have rheumatism when they experience joint, joint or muscle pain.
And this reference may be the reason why, to this day, we are not entirely clear about the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis.
The doctor doctor Francisco Castro DominguezHead of Section of the Rheumatology Service, Teknon Medical Center, Barcelona and spokesperson for the explain what “The concept” rheumatism “does not exist in medical language.
What we have are diseases of the musculoskeletal system, which can be inflammatory/autoimmune or mechanical and have different names. The inflammatory / autoimmune forms of arthritis, and instead the mechanical, would be osteoarthritis ”.
Osteoarthritis is the insufficiency of a joint understood as an organ made up of different tissues: muscles, ligaments, tendons, joint capsule, subchondral bone, synovial membrane and cartilage.
In such a way that this pathology can degrade the cartilage, change the shape of the bone and cause synovial inflammation, which causes pain, stiffness and loss of mobility. In addition, it can affect any joint, but it is more common in the knees, hands, hips, lower back, and cervical spine.
On the contrary, “arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease in which the body recognizes elements of the synovial membrane as foreign and attacks them, causing joint inflammation”, clarifies the rheumatologist.
Arthritis typically affects the hands, although it can affect any other joint as well. “In a form of arthritis known as spondyloarthritis, it can also affect the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joints,” concludes the doctor.
And as starting this week and throughout the winter, cold days will be very frequent and the rains will be very present, it is important that patients with osteoarthritis know the best way to protect themselves from low temperatures in order not to worsen its symptomatology.
From the Arthitris Foundation point out that the key to avoiding the cold is to protect the body by covering it from the inside out. Thus, it is advisable to put underwear under street clothes (t-shirts, tights…), avoiding cotton and opting for insulating fibers.
Once the first layer of clothing is ready, we will complete the clothing with light woolen garments and coats that insulate us from the wind and humidity.
and for now let’s leave the jeans in the closet. Let’s take out quick-drying, woolen or moisture-proof pants for a walk.
Special attention deserve the extremities. Wool socks will keep your feet warm and dry. For the hands, there are gloves made of waterproof and insulating materials on the market.
It will also be good to protect the head and wear it covered, both due to the cold and the humidity it can catch and the time it takes for the hair to dry.
And let’s not forget the neck, which next to the head is a particularly sensitive area for detecting the cold. A scarf, a neck gaiter, a balaclava… will help prevent the neck and face from freezing.
The footwear, in addition to being comfortable, must also be waterproof.
Good sleep, a good hot shower…
In addition to these recommendations for the coming cold, there are another series of measures indicated as a general rule for this type of patients to improve their symptoms, and that should not be lost sight of.
The first is night rest, trying to sleep between 8 and 10 hours a day. And how the stiffness of osteoarthritis is more pronounced when standing upstart the day with a nice hot shower it will reduce the stiffness of the joints.
Lastly, and although the best thing to do during these days is to avoid changes in temperature, it is important do some physical exercise even if it’s inside the house.