Pain Caused By Cold Or Cool, Damp Weather

What Causes Aches During Cold Or Cool, Damp Weather?

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.

Diagnose your symptoms now!
  • check your overall health status
  • understand what's happening to your body
  • let The Analyst™ find what's wrong

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:

  • Research the topic
  • Find a doctor with the time
  • Use a diagnostic computer system.
The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "aches during cold or cool, damp weather" as a symptom.  Here are four possibilities:
  • Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:
having foamy urine
temple-based headaches
highly elevated ANA levels
irritated eyes
difficulty falling asleep
poor recovery from exertion
slight diffuse bone pain
severe non-specific arm pain
multiple swollen axillary nodes
joint pain/swelling/stiffness
frequent unexplained fevers
having a CFS diagnosis
... and more than 60 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of aches during cold or cool, damp weather:
Cause Probability Status
Osteoarthritis 91% Confirm
Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia 22% Unlikely
Rheumatoid Arthritis 0% Ruled out
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis 0% Ruled out
* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate problems caused by cold/damp weather, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:
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
Based on your response to this question, which may indicate no pain in cold/cool/damp weather, minor pain in cold/cool/damp weather, pain in cold/cool/damp weather or major pain in cold/cool/damp weather, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:
Chronic Fatigue / Fibromyalgia Syndrome

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.

Osteoarthritis

Like all arthritic conditions, osteoarthritis can react to weather changes: good weather can ease pain, and cold, damp weather can make it worse.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

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.

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