Contrary to the common misconception, arthritis is not merely an old man’s disease. It is a collective inflammation of the joints that can affect anybody. Apart from making time for enough physical activity and maintaining a healthy diet, one’s living conditions play a significant role in the road to recovery. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has compiled a list of worst cities for people with arthritis. Here are three of them.

1. Atlanta, GA
One of the important reasons arthritic patients generally fear Georgia is its unpredictable weather shifts. The city is known to exhibit bipolar weather multiple times in a single day, such as fine, sunny mornings and rainy afternoons. Another reason why patients should entirely avoid Georgia is the highly unfair ratio of patients to rheumatologists. More than 26 percent of adults in Atlanta have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Between 1999 and 2008, more than 2000 adults are known to have died, with arthritis being the primary cause.

Though Georgia is quite beautiful to live in, considering the statistics mentioned above, it can be safely advised that the state be strongly avoided by arthritis patients everywhere else in the country.

2. Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma revels in making its residents’ lives particularly miserable if they suffer from chronic arthritic conditions and joint pains, especially. Excessive humidity during the blazing summer months, along with constant shifts in the barometric pressure in the air, lead to an increase in joint pain, according to nearly 50 percent of the city’s residents.

Despite all these unfavorable climatic conditions, Oklahoma still is not the worst place for arthritic patients because of it’s terrible weather. The state has very few qualified rheumatologists and a significantly higher number of patients with arthritis. In addition, the basic healthcare cost is well above average, making it all the more advisable for arthritic patients to avoid this state.

3. New Orleans, LA
In its own unusual way, Louisiana brings upon problems for arthritic patients with its year-round humid weather. New Orleans is recorded to be one of the most humid cities in Louisiana and the entire country. It shines with an average humidity of 74.5 percent, which increases during the summer months. Most patients who have arthritis feel their symptoms aggravating during this time of the year.

Louisiana is also one of the country’s rainiest states, which further helps set up a freezing winter upon the end of the monsoon. This makes it all the more difficult for arthritis patients in the city.

More than 50 million people, or 23 percent of adults in the country, suffer from some form of arthritis every day. Almost 60 percent of the arthritic adults belong to the working age group, thus severely inhibiting their workability. This, in addition to the annual costs of medical care every year, makes a massive dent in their yearly income and dramatically affects their livelihoods.