Complaints in the fall

Rheumatism: worse in bad weather!

Complaints get worse in the cold and rain.

(Bild: StockPhotoPro/stock.adobe.com)

After the record summer, the drop in temperature, wind and rain has led to pain and stiffness in the joints, spine and muscles of many rheumatism patients. And this is by no means imaginary. Bad weather makes joint pain worse!

This has been known for years: External influences such as cold and damp weather, wind and draughts cause our joints and muscles to ache.

But it's not just the weather that's to blame. "Being overweight, lack of exercise, sitting for long periods of time, smoking and frequent heavy meals and soft drinks lead to increased inflammatory activity and thus to joint swelling and pain," says Dr. Thomas Schwingenschlögl, rheumatologist from Lower Austria.

"One thing is clear: the better the rheumatic conditions are suppressed with the right medication and a healthy lifestyle, the less they affect us."

Watch out for these symptoms

• Joint swelling: The joints are distended in a spindle shape, bulging, they heat up and are reddened.
• Early morning joint pain (morning stiffness), often lasting hours.
• Loss of strength in the hands: cans, glasses cannot be opened. "Greeting pain": handshake hurts.
• Restricted movement: Making a fist or extending fingers is impossible.
• Feeling ill, fever, sweating, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss and muscle and tendon pain.

Rheumatism is often a disease in which the immune system has an impaired tolerance to the body's own substances and tissues. This leads to the formation of antibodies that are directed against the body and trigger inflammation. In addition to joints, muscles, the spine and our connective tissue, organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines, eyes and skin can also be affected.

For targeted treatment, it is necessary to diagnose and treat rheumatism as quickly as possible.