Does humidity effect your pain level?
 

Hi all,

I hope we get the board back up tomorrow, but since it's not and things are kind of rough pain wise I wanted to ask, does humidity make you feel more pain? I surely hurt real bad with all the rain and increased humidity we've had down here in Florida this past week. Not much else to say, but I thought I'd lean on my CP friends a little today and see how many of you suffer more when it's humid like I have and do when it's really wicked humid here.

Hugs to you all! Wishing for pain free days for everyone. :)

Hi Pam, I live in the desert and i can say that even the slightest rise in humidity causes my aches and pains to get worse. One strange thing though is that when we were on vacation on the coast in Oregon I wasn't in as much pain and the humidity was very high there. So is it the humidity plus the higher temps that causes my pain? Or was I not in as much pain because I was distracted by being on vacation at the ocean? One of those Hmmmmmmm moments...Sue

I haven't been out of Florida since becoming disabled and that was when I started suffering from Chronic Pain. I have often wondered about places that have dry heat and how pain levels would be living in a place like that. I wonder about your experience too, if it was just being on vacation or if the heat is another factor. I know when I had plates in my right leg I used to sit in the sun and let my leg bake to ease the pain and it helped but then going back into the air conditioning it was always hard.

Thanks for your reply Sue! I guess it isn't just in my head as my DH might like to think. ;) :)

For me it is not necessarily the humidity - it's the change in barometric pressure, which happens when the weather changes.

Also for me, when the pressure is on the high side or on the low side I also flare - even if there have been no changes in pressure - but if it gets 'stuck' at high or low then I flare until it goes back to normal.

I wonder about pressure changes too, sometimes my ears feel funny and then it goes away. That's an interesting though that maybe it's also related to pressure changes, thanks for the reply Wittesea. :D

Hi guys~
Boy, I'm with ya on the low pressure! My gramma could always predict the weather, because of her "rheumatiz". (Always reminded me of granny on the Beverly Hillbillys minus the money!) I'll tell 'em when the weather is going to change too.

High pressure doesn't seem to bother me though.

Hugs,
Jan

Pam, I'll chime in and say without a doubt "low pressure" more so than humidity is the pain creater for me. Especially in the winter when a storm is approaching I have noticed not only a pain level increase, but overall a "sickish" feeling.

Jyes

I bet that is what made it worse this past week, the low pressure. Why that would have any effect on pain is beyond me but it obviously does and it wasn't all in my head. Thanks Jan & Jyes for the confirmation I was looking for. ;)

I'll thank our son for the answer on this one... he's a professional Meteorologist who works for the National Weather Service...

The changes in barometric pressure are what cause pain; once the barometer stabilizes, either high, low, or somewhere in between, your body will adjust to whatever the ambient pressure is. But, either a rise or a fall in atmospheric pressure will cause internal organs, capillaries, nerves and such to either expand or contract ever-so-slightly, but plenty enough to make your pain sensory nerves notice the effect.

Absolutely barometric pressure in my opinion. And the dampness really gets to me as well. This is the first year I didn't go camping in many years, its just too damp, even sleeping in a tent trailer. I hurt so bad the last time I went, it was no fun at all.
I tell people that I am a human barometer!
The pain goes from probably a 6-7 on a good day, to an 8 or higher when
them weather is bad.
A few years ago I took a trip to Az, to see how much the climate would affect my pain levels, and found it to be much better for me out there.
I really felt a lot better out there, I was there for a full month, so I could get a good feel for the weather. Part of it may have been the new environment, and all the new things to see, that may have taken my mind off the pain to some degree, but overall, I was in about 1/2 the pain I am in here in NH.
I would move out there, if I though I could find a good doctor that would continue my pain meds. Its just that the thought of moving is so overwhelming to me, I've been in the same home for 25 years, and it would take me 2 years to get ready to move. :eek: I don't know if I could handle a move in my condition, plus who wants to move to somewhere with no friends at all, it would be too lonely out there by myself.
Maybe somday, I'll get the courage to do it, but for now, I guess its
good old New England, and putting a extra log on the fire....

Peace
Rags