What Causes Arthritis Flareups?

When you have arthritis and it seems like your symptoms are worse than usual, that’s when you’re having a “flareup” or “flare” and even medications you’re on might not seem to control such issues. Ugh. What can cause arthritis symptoms to worsen? 

Types of Arthritis

There are different types of arthritis. For instance, there’s rheumatoid arthritis. With this type, a flare can occur if a person tapers or stops the meds they’re on. Other causes can be stress, overexertion, not enough sleep or, perhaps, an infection. For those with osteoarthritis, a flare could be caused by joint trauma, bone spurs, cold weather/a change in barometric pressure, weight gain or other reasons. Stress, overexertion and/or an infection could also trigger flares. People with psoriatic arthritis (which affects skin and joints) might experience a flare when there’s a skin injury. Certain medications might trigger flares. Bacterial infections, allergies, weather changes, stress, and even alcohol intake/certain foods can cause flares. No matter what type of arthritis, one thing’s for sure: flares aren’t fun! 

Fighting Against Arthritis Flareups

If you don’t like what happens when arthritis involves worsening symptoms then it’s a good idea to keep a record of what happens/happened before the flares. Having a journal of experiences and such can help determine what specific things might be triggering flares. For instance, maybe it’s something you eat that causes flares, or maybe you’re doing too much exercise and that’s the reason you’ve got issues. Having a “diary” of sorts can be a valuable tool to figure out what’s going on with your body.

People don’t want to deal with arthritis, right? It’s not something people want– that’s for sure! The Helen Foundation recommends Microdose Therapy™ for those who want to eliminate pain, fatigue and related inflammation symptoms in days from cortisone-responding diseases such as arthritis. There is hope (and help) for those suffering with arthritis flareups. For more info, please call The Helen Foundation at 480-734-8525.