# When did your symptoms start?
**URL:** https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/when-did-your-symptoms-start/4799
**Category:** Symptoms and Treatments
**Created:** [April 18, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/when-did-your-symptoms-start/4799 "2020-04-18T22:58:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@elle](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/u/elle)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/when-did-your-symptoms-start/4799/1 "2020-04-18T22:58:10Z")
Hi guys, I’m new on this app and I was wondering about everyone’s experiences with erythromelalgia. I’m 17 and mine started in childhood but got worse as I became a teenager. Did you guys always have it or did it evolve at a certain age? I keep reading on the couple of pages that discuss our condition that it is a progressive disease in some cases. It sucks that there is never a clear answer. I always feel so in the dark about the condition. Hope you are all well,
Elle
---
### Author:  [@ModSupport](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/u/ModSupport)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2020, 7:12pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/when-did-your-symptoms-start/4799/2 "2020-04-19T19:12:28Z")
Elle, welcome to the erythromelalgia community. We’re glad that you found us, although it’s a shame that you too have this condition. The people here are knowledgeable, welcoming and helpful. I hope you will post with lots of questions, and also with support for others.
All the best to you. You can send a message to individual members by clicking on their avatar and then on “message”: use that move to ask for help or to message ModSupport.
Seenie
---
### Author:  [@OnFireInSeattle](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/u/OnFireInSeattle)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2020, 2:24am UTC](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/when-did-your-symptoms-start/4799/3 "2020-09-04T02:24:27Z")
My nightmare with this began in my early 50s, although I experienced strange swelling in my hands and feet as a child. I have no idea if the incidences are related. I’m sorry you have to deal with this at such a young age.
---
### Author:  [@Jyandav](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/u/Jyandav)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 10:12pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/when-did-your-symptoms-start/4799/4 "2020-09-24T22:12:49Z")
I had swelling and redness start when I was about 22 and it has gotten a little worse every year. Now I am 31 and my hands are almost always swollen with a red-ish tint. I could not imagine having this as a child so I feel for you. And welcome!
---
### Author:  [@Taen](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/u/Taen)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2022, 1:35pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/when-did-your-symptoms-start/4799/5 "2022-11-02T13:35:00Z")
Hi Elle, mine started in my early 20s, affecting my hands, which made life rather trying as I’m a professional programmer. What I’d say is that environmental modifications seem to have worked best for me over the years. I always have a very cool living space with fans -still air, even if it’s cool, feels like it’s burning my skin and my hands flare immediately - and I’m careful about what I wear to keep my body temperature on the cool side of normal. Fewer flares seems to mean that the flares I do get are much less terrible than when it was more out of control.