- 1. Decreased blood vessel diameter and muscle contraction
- 2. Increased sensitivity of nerve endings in the skin
- 3. Change in the electrical charge of the air
- 4. Change in mood
- How to relieve pain and discomfort
The people most affected by pain due to sudden changes in temperature, are those who have some kind of chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis, suffer from sinusitis or migraine, and also those who have undergone some type of orthopedic surgery on their hands, feet, arms or legs, and especially those who have a platinum prosthesis.
The pain can appear or worsen even 2 days before the weather changes and although science has not yet been able to clarify what the relationship between chronic diseases and weather changes there are 4 hypotheses that can explain this phenomenon:
1. Decreased blood vessel diameter and muscle contraction
In a sudden change in temperature, the blood vessels slightly decrease their diameter and the muscles and joints tend to become more constricted so that there is an adequate temperature and more blood in the organs, as they are essential to life. With less blood and heat at the ends of the body, any touch or blow can be even more painful and the scar site is more retracted and the pain receptors located in the deeper regions of the body are more sensitive and send the pain stimulus to the brain at the slightest stimulus.
2. Increased sensitivity of nerve endings in the skin
According to this theory, the abrupt changes in temperatures make us more noticeable to the pain because the nerve endings located in the skin become more sensitive and even the change in the weight of the air, with the arrival of cold or rain, leads to a small swelling of the joints, which although it cannot be seen with the naked eye, is already sufficient to lead to the appearance or worsening of joint pain. This theory may also explain why when people dive deep they also complain about the same type of pain, since the pressure of the water under the body has the same effect.
3. Change in the electrical charge of the air
When cold or rain is coming, the air gets heavier and there is more static electricity and humidity in the environment and, supposedly, this can lead to a small contraction of the peripheral nerves, located in the arms, legs, hands and feet. This contraction, although not easily perceived, can leave the nerves more receptive to any discomfort, facilitating the stimulation of pain.
4. Change in mood
On colder and rainier days people tend to be calmer, more thoughtful and even sadder and prone to depression. These feelings cause the person to be more still, with less heat produced by muscle contraction and greater stiffness in the joints and these factors combined can decrease the tolerance to pain and therefore any small stimulus can be enough to start to bother you a lot.
How to relieve pain and discomfort
The best way to prevent the onset or worsening of the pain that arises when the weather suddenly cools and there is a forecast of rain or summer storm, is to keep the body well warm, without allowing yourself to feel the cold, and to place a warm compress on the sore joint or at the surgery site.
In addition, it is important to stay active and in motion because muscle contraction promotes heat and increases body temperature by warming muscles and joints, thereby decreasing pain.
Watch this video to learn how to make a hot compress to always have at home, to use when you feel this pain:
