Rheumatic Symptoms Do Not Vary By Season

[Guest guest]

Rheumatic Symptoms Do Not Vary By Season

While seasonal symptoms are commonly reported across all rheumatic diseases,

it has been proven that symptoms do not vary with the season. This is shown

by clinical scores, which indicate that measured pain and severity scores do

not get worse in winter.

A study conducted at the Arthritis Research Center Foundation in Wichita, KS

examined data collected over many years to evaluate the correlation between

seasons and rheumatic symptoms, how much they occur, and the differences

among the rheumatic diseases. In this study, twenty-four patients with

rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia completed a

questionnaire for seasonal pattern assessment. Over a 24-year period, the

research conductors evaluated and compared the patient status with reported

symptoms. They found that about 50% of patients reported that seasonal

changes made their rheumatic symptoms worse. These symptoms included pain,

fatigue, and an increase of severity of symptoms. They also concluded that

symptoms were less common in older patients and in men.

Researchers also concluded that patients with fibromyalgia also had an

increased number of symptoms. Symptoms that were aggravated in these

patients were depression, anxiety, increase in severity, as well as the

duration of symptoms increased.

After being evaluated, the study also concluded that pain was slightly

increased in the summer season and the severity was not related at all. Even

patients who had specifically reported worse symptoms in winter and best

symptoms in summer, no effect of season could be found.

[Guest guest]

Yeah. Right. Sure. Uh-huh.

With Sincere Skepticism...

Tess

[Guest guest]

Stacey,

Where are you at in PA? I live in the Northeast.

Thanks, Roxanne