When my family moved from New York City to Fort Lauderdale in the summer of 1986, we were convinced we had landed in paradise. Cold, grey winters were traded in for endless sunshine and palm trees, and the Atlantic Ocean greeted us with bath-water temperature waves, day or night. Just eight years old, and a lover of the water, I tried to squeeze in as much time as possible in South Florida’s waterways. This pastime, however, also meant exposure to strong sun and blazing temperatures, and unbeknownst to us, would change the course of my life forever.
My family and I didn’t know it then, but the sun and heat would come to be one of the main triggers of Lupus symptoms in my body. Lupus, a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects more than 5 million people worldwide, can wreak havoc on numerous body systems of patients, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and skin. People diagnosed with Lupus will experience flare-ups (increased disease activity) and remissions and may notice over time that certain factors jump-start an increase in symptoms. With the proper tools, patients can determine the unique triggers that may be leading to an increase in disease activity, with the goal of lessening or eradicating these conditions to achieve a better quality of life.
