weather

Hi Adrian, I find the cold and damp are the worst, when abroad in the lovely heat of the sun I'm like a youngun again lol. I also think the sun has a physiological affect on me. My husband is walking disabled and his pain and mobility is soooo much better in the warm weather. wrap up warm and may be try a heat blanket ?? All the best. Macca

i think the cold weather makes us worst because when you are cold you tense up.. all your muscles in your neck and shouldes become solid.. mine do anyway. it takes me a couple of hours to get them un tensed again.. i think i might immigrate!!

Hi all;

Delayed reaction here, but interesting subject. Thought I'd add my bit.

I've always noticed, that when the weather is humid and heavy, like before an impending downpour, I get very achey all over, stiff in the neck and muggy mild headache. Gets me feeling irritable and frustrated. However, once it actually starts to rain, I feel instant relief all over and a sense of light headiness. A full moon makes me light headed as well. Must be something to do with the humidity levels within us changing to match the outside weather changes. A similar reaction occurs if I sleep in damp conditions. I once lived in a flat with rising damp, where everything felt slightly damp in the morning, and I had to move to the lounge, which was a bit drier, for sleeping. Funny thing about water...if it's moving water such as living by a river or near the sea, or even living in Venice with a canal running through your basement, it doesn't seem to cause arthritic reactions. If we sweat, as a result of high humidity, it suggests that we are adjusting our internal water levels. Just as if we had exercised physically to the point of sweating. So there must be something happening. There might be some kind of a solution in either drinking or not drinking liquids to counteract the effects, but I'm not sure which. Will have to experiment with that one.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot we can about the weather except to move to a better climate. British weather is notorius for exacerbating back problems, perhaps because humidity levels linger longer before reaching critical point and releasing as rain. Just a theory. People always say that they can withstand much colder temperatures in other countries because the cold air is drier. Here, it's the damp coldness that penetrates with the same side effects as rising humidity. Also, for those with C/S , because the neck is generally exposed , there is greater vulnerability.

Personally, I like too think that there's always a cause and effect and a little thinking can sometimes unravel things to our advantage. Hit and miss really, but still worth the misses. If the main goal is to improve quality of life by just 1% then count me in.

Gerry

Hi Gerry,

We here in Cornwall are often amazed at the number of people who gleefully move down here when they retire, particularly to coastal areas. The damp climate has a serious detremental effect on people's health. It is well known that we have a high number of elderly people suffering from rhuematic problems which are only made worse by living in a damp area. Cornwall, and parts of Devon, are very nice in the summer but for the rest of the year the southwest winds bring in the damp air which aggrevates muscle and joint pain. Coupled with the fact that most coastal towns and villages are also rather hilly, Cornwall is certainly not a healthy place to retire to. Also, todays modern clothing offers little effective protection from the elements. Very few outer garments are made from natural fibres which keep the body warm when outside. You don't see many long coats these days as they are designed to be shorter for wearing in cars. The southwest has the highest proportion of people with joint problems.

Janner

Hi Janner

I think it's probably got more to do with ground saturation in the winter, rather than sea or rivers. Otherwise it would be just as bad in the summer. No ? The cold damp winds don't help either. Worst place in England I've experienced this is the coast of East Anglia in winter. Siberian winds and the North Sea sends this area to the bottom of the list as a desirable winter break. THe memory brings tears to my eyes, just as it did then. But Cornwall is damper because the hills force the clouds to shed their rain....a bit like the west of Ireland where it's common to be overcast in the morning, it rains at midday and it's sunny for the afternoon. For winter just delete all and insert 'it rains all the time'. Something to do with the Gulf Stream.

I've been to Corwall a few times...St Ives, Tintagel, Lands End etc. Great in the summer but I'm sure the locals are more concerned with surviving the winter than the surfing at Newquay. People say that the Cornish are reluctant towards tourists, but I never experienced that. Maybe I was too knackered from the drive from London that I just didn't notice....it's a long way.

I suppose an ideal place for anyone with C/S aches , would be Spain or South of France, but that option becomes irrelevant if benefits are involved, as they usually are. Unless, of course, we integrate fully into Europe and, as one country, we can get our benefits anywhere. Dream on !

Gerry