Hand painYour rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms likely come and go from day to day. If you’re still working on perfecting a management plan, it’s essential to determine what your RA triggers are so you can avoid them. Here are six of the most common causes of rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups to be aware of.

Living a Sedentary Lifestyle

If you spend too much time sitting and not enough time exercising, you promote inflammation in your body. This is a primary source of flare-ups for many rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Exercising Too Intensely

While physical activity is beneficial for staving off RA flare-ups, high-impact exercises can damage your sensitive joints. For this reason, you should avoid running and step aerobics and choose low-impact exercises instead, such as swimming, biking, or yoga. These types of workouts get your heart rate up without putting undue stress on your joints.

Smoking

Has your doctor ever told you that cigarettes are a contributing factor for contracting rheumatoid arthritis? If you continue to smoke or pick up the habit after your diagnosis, it can worsen your symptoms because smoking makes RA treatment less effective. Talk to your doctor about quitting so your flare-ups occur less frequently and less painfully.

Failing to Manage Stress

Stress has a profound effect on the body. This is why rheumatoid arthritis patients often experience flare-ups following a period of high anxiety. It’s difficult to quantify stress—and even harder to avoid if you have a hectic job and family life—so it’s important to learn how to manage stress in a healthy way.

Try setting aside 10 to 30 minutes per day for breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga. Enjoy a cup of herbal tea before bed, and strive to get at least eight hours of sleep each night.

Eating Poorly

Some foods are known to cause inflammation, which you should avoid if you have rheumatoid arthritis. These include sugar, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oil, fried foods, dairy, processed meats, and refined white flour. Replace these inflammatory foods with healthy alternatives that help minimize flare-ups:

  • Soy products
  • Green tea
  • Garlic
  • Fish, including salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring
  • Avocado, safflower, walnut, and extra virgin olive oils
  • Cherries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries
  • Green leafy vegetables
  • Citrus fruits, including oranges, limes, and grapefruits
  • Whole grains, including oatmeal, quinoa, barley, and wild and brown rice
  • Legumes, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, peas, and lentils
  • Walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, and pistachios

Having a Baby

It’s possible for a woman with rheumatoid arthritis to have a healthy pregnancy. In fact, a study from 2011 found that 75 percent of women experience fewer RA symptoms during pregnancy because the immune system shuts down partially at this time. However, as much as 90 percent of new mothers experience flare-ups within the first year of giving birth. Avoiding the other triggers mentioned here may help lower this possibility.

Tips to Manage RA Flare-Ups

While avoiding your RA triggers is a great way to reduce the frequency and severity of flare-ups, you may still experience heightened symptoms from time to time. Pay attention to the warning signs of an imminent flare-up, including fever, fatigue, and joint stiffness and swelling. If you spot these early symptoms, act immediately! Here’s what to do:

  • Balance relaxation and activity: If you remain completely sedentary, you may experience pain and stiffness, so participate in range-of-motion exercises when you feel a flare-up coming on. Then, during periods of rest, engage in deep breathing and other relaxation techniques to keep inflammation and pain at bay.
  • Take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Do this immediately upon noticing the first signs of heightened inflammation.
  • Apply hot and cold packs: If your joints start swelling, apply ice to numb the area and decrease inflammation. When your initial symptoms subside, use a heating pad to increase blood flow and promote healing.
  • Seek support: Flare-ups make it harder to complete daily tasks, so talk to your roommates or family members about getting some extra help. Also, speak with your boss about the possibility of adjusting your hours or working from home when your symptoms flare up.
  • Visit Spine Correction Center: We offer joint injections for fast-acting, localized pain relief that can last for weeks.

Get More Help Avoiding RA Triggers

For more tips to make life easier with rheumatoid arthritis, please contact Spine Correction Center in Fort Collins by calling (970) 658-5115 or set up your free consultation online. Our services may help reduce your symptoms and help you enjoy more pain-free days.