Weather and Joint Pain 

Q: When the weather changes I experience pain in my joints, especially in my knees. Does this mean I will develop arthritis when I get older?

A: Though many people experience weather-related pain or discomfort in their joints, it does not predict the onset of one of the more than 100 forms of arthritis (rheumatoid, osteoarthritis, and others). However, getting older itself is a risk factor for the development of a specific type of arthritis known as osteoarthritis. And, if you already have this or another form of arthritis, your affected joint(s) might react to a lowering of the barometric pressure (an approaching storm, high altitude) with a temporary increase in stiffness, inflammation and pain.

Weather or not, here it comes

Scientifically speaking, there are conflicting studies regarding weather-related changes and health. However, many people firmly believe a change in weather (temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind gusts, rain or snow) trigger their joint aches or pains, migraine headaches, or asthma flare-ups. Weather indirectly affects our health in other ways:

• Seasonal changes that affect the growing season of certain types of plants and their pollen (allergies)
• Intense sunlight (skin-related changes)
• Wind (airborne pollutants)
• Smog (respiratory symptoms)

Keep a symptom diary

Everyone is different when it comes to specific symptom responses. Thus, it's important to keep a diary to track when symptoms begin (time of day), what weather conditions existed at that time (hot, cold, wet, dry), how long the symptoms lasted, and patterns (seasonal, indoors, outdoors). In this way you and your doctor will be able to anticipate the onset of symptoms and take appropriate measures to prevent or alleviate their severity.

Arthritis: Many forms, many symptoms

One fact is certain about the joint inflammation known as arthritis: It affects people in different ways. One person may have extreme symptoms of pain, stiffness and immobility. Another may experience mild discomfort with repetitive use of a joint or when waking up in the morning. Certain types of arthritis (scleroderma, lupus, others) are part of an immune-system response affecting many body systems (eyes, skin, liver) while others are specific to the joints (osteoarthritis) and result from the wear and tear on the cartilage cushioning the ends of the bones within that joint.

Other factors related to arthritis may include the following:

• Autoimmune disorders in which the immune system attacks the body it was designed to protect (rheumatoid arthritis)
• Infectious agents such as a virus or bacterium (infectious or reactive arthritis) from Lyme disease or sexually transmitted diseases
• Alcohol, obesity and high levels of uric acid (gout)
• Older age and overweight (osteoarthritis)
• Young age (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis)
• Cold weather-related spasms of the blood vessels in the limbs (Raynaud's phenomenon) leading to white or blue tinted fingernails and toenails, as well as numbness and pain
• Family history and genetics (psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, autoimmune arthritis, others)
• Occupation as certain ones may have a higher risk for joint disease (physically demanding jobs, repetitive physical tasks)
• Previous injuries (joint damage from broken bones, trauma, others)
• Diet (diets high in calories and trans and/or saturated fats may lead to obesity or local inflammation)
• Body symptoms such as eye pain, skin changes, muscle aches, limited range of motion, fever, or fatigue

A visit to your physician is important for a specific diagnosis. He or she will perform a thorough physical exam with a focus on the joints of your body. Range of motion, swelling or deformities of any of the affected areas will be examined. Additionally, blood tests (for lupus, SED rate, rheumatoid arthritis, blood count checking for anemia, and other problems) may be suggested, as would X-rays targeted to the specific joints of concern.

For further information regarding specific symptoms and risk factors for arthritis, please visit the Arthritis Foundation or the American College of Rheumatologists.

Find More on Arthritis:

• Arthritis Pain: Dos and Don'ts
• Can Foods Trigger Arthritis Pain?
• Chronic Pain: Can Acupuncture Help?
• Traveling With Arthritis

Find all articles by Dr. Rob.

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Robert Danoff, D.O., M.S., is a family physician and program director of The Family Practice Residency, as well as the combined Family Practice/Emergency Medicine Residency programs at Frankford Hospitals, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, Pa. He is the medical correspondent for CN8, The Comcast Network, a regular contributor to Discovery Health Online and a contributing writer to The New York Times Special Features. (Read his full bio.)