Life hacks for dealing with rheumatoid arthritis this monsoon

A new diagnostic method is likely to help in the early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Read on to know more about it and smart tricks that'll help you manage your pain better.

Guneet Kaur | Published: July 10, 2019 5:12 pm

Living with rheumatoid arthritis makes it difficult to grip things. © Shutterstock

Monsoon is in full swing and many of us have started feeling the rain (and the pain too!) in our joints. Yes, we are talking about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) here, a joint condition that has been found to aggravate while it’s cold and raining. Well, here’s some good news for everyone living with this condition. A team of researchers in the University of Birmingham’s School of Computer Science along with Health Technologies Institute and Rheumatologists in the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, have developed a new technique for the early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. This rapid, non-invasive technique uses infra red beam to tell you if RA has hit your joints and what stage this condition is in. Both are crucial for effective treatment.

WHAT IS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS?

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that inflames your joints. It is also likely to affect your heart, lungs, eyes, and nerves. The symptoms of RA include pain, swelling and stiffness in your joints, and a warm sensation. You will also feel fatigue and low-grade fever if you are suffering from this condition. Rheumatoid arthritis can worsen once if you ignore the symptoms and do not access early treatment. This condition hits people in the age bracket of 30 to 60 years. However, juvenile arthritis affects younger people. Apart from age, there are other factors that increase your risk of RA. These include smoking, genetic predisposition, low levels of vitamin D, so on and so forth.

HOW MONSOON AND COLD WEATHER AGGRAVATE THE PAIN OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

There are many studies that link rheumatoid arthritis with seasons, especially monsoon and winter. However, researchers haven’t yet been able to reach conclusive results. But general wisdom in the field says that during these two seasons the barometric pressure of the atmosphere tends to fall. This change in pressure leads to swelling in your tissues that build tension between your joints, causing pain. Some studies cited by the Arthritis Foundation, US, also allude to this connection. PuMed Central features a study which suggests that reducing temperature from 10C can increase pain in people suffering from arthritis. There are other reasons too that escalate pain during the monsoon and winter:

Lack of sunlight during both the seasons
Low temperature increases stimulates pain receptors and increase pain sensitivity
During cold weather, the blood circulation to your fingers and toes become weak. This makes the pain intense.
Lack of activity due to weather conditions. A sedentary lifestyle is known to increase pain sensations.

CONDITIONS THAT COME WITH RA

Rheumatoid arthritis brings along quite a few other ailments with it, osteoporosis and lung diseases being the most common. Here is a brief overview on them.

Osteoporosis

It is a condition that weakens your bones and you become more prone to fractures. Certain medications prescribed for RA can also increase your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Lung diseases

Patients suffering from this joint condition experience problems like shortness of breath due to scarring of lung tissue. The breathing problem can worsen with time.

Dry eyes and mouth

People suffering from RA are likely to experience Sjogrens syndrome. This disorder decreases the moisture in your mouth and eyes.

Infections

You become more prone to infections as the medications used to treat RA can weaken your immune system.

SMART WAYS TO BEAT PAIN

Living with RA is difficult, not only because the pain is excruciating but also because it restricts your range of movements. That is why it becomes difficult for you to perform your daily tasks. Here a few simple tricks that will help you keep the pain at bay, or minimise it at least.

Add a key ring to your zippers

Adding a key ring to your the zips of your bags or jackets will really help. The ring will make it easier for you to latch on, ensuring that you don’t hurt your fingers in the process.

Use Haemostats

With rheumatoid arthritis it becomes difficult to grip something. Therefore, using a haemostat or something similar makes it easier for you to open packaged foods.

Invest in an electric jar opener

Sometimes, you need to exert a lot of pressure to open the lead of a jar. This can be really difficult for an arthritis patient to do. So, buying an electric jar opener will really help. You can find them online.

Reduce strain while cleaning

Buy furniture with wheels so that it becomes easier for you to move them. Also, store your cleaning supplies in a movable cart and wear an old sock on your hand to dust instead of a rag. These hacks will make cleaning easier for the people with rheumatoid arthritis

Be careful about how you stand

Stand with your feet slightly apart and place one foot in front of the other. This will give you better balance and control. If you have to stand for a longer duration, then you should lean against a wall so that the weight shifts from your body.

Sit smart

While you sit on a chair, make sure you have a footrest or a box where you can place your legs. make sure your ankle is at a 90 degree angle with your knee. Sitting for a long duration can make your joints stiff. So, keep stretching your muscles from time to time. Also, move around at intermittent breaks to relax your joint muscles.

Apply heat

You can use warm wheat bags to ease the pain in your joints. Fill an old clean sock with rice, and tie its open end. Now, microwave it for 2 minutes and your home-made heating pad is ready.

Make a cold pack

You can also use cold packs to reduce inflammation in joints. Make this at home by pouring in 2 cups of water and two tablespoons of salt in a freezer bag. Seal the bag and freeze it.

Stay away from processed foods

Processed foods have unhealthy fats and harmful additives. They can aggravate inflammation. So it’s best to avoid them.

Try Epsom salt bath

Epsom salt is made of magnesium sulphate, a compound that helps alleviate pain. In water Epsom salt breaks down into magnesium and sulphate and enters your body through the skin. A warm water bath with Epsom salt will help relax your muscles and loosen stiff joints.

Set an alarm

If you are on pain medications, which you need to take at different times of the day, setting an alarm will ensure that you don’t miss them. Also, organise your med in a pill organizer.

Published: July 10, 2019 5:12 pm

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