Aches during cold or cool, damp weather can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'needs attention' to 'serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose aches during cold or cool, damp weather, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Osteoarthritis | 91% | Confirm |
Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia | 22% | Unlikely |
Rheumatoid Arthritis | 0% | Ruled out |
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis | 0% | Ruled out |
Does cold or cool, damp weather cause increased muscle, joint, or bone aches or pains?
Possible responses:
→ Don't know→ No → Yes, slight achiness, not a problem → Yes, very noticeable increased pain → Yes, severe, debilitating, intolerable pain |
Cold, damp weather can worsen the pain at fibromyalgia tender points. Fibromyalgia produces a shortening and tightening of muscle fibers; cold weather also contracts muscles, making symptoms worse.
Like all arthritic conditions, osteoarthritis can react to weather changes: good weather can ease pain, and cold, damp weather can make it worse.
Cold, damp weather is well known for aggravating aching bones. Rheumatoid arthritis can flare up during winter months; what might be a dull ache during the summer can become a shooting pain during the winter.