Preparing for the Changing Season with AutoImmune Disease

Daniela Spear, ACE Health Coach and Autoimmune Specialist

The shorter days and cooler air mean more than sweaters and chai lattes (sorry to all you pumpkin spice lovers). For me, it’s almost always a time of being on high alert -- ready for the inevitable Lupus flare-up. And although I’ve learned to expect difficulty with the changing season, I’ve also learned how to be prepared to prevent a flare-up.

I’ve been living with Lupus for 11 years now, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized I am most susceptible to experiencing flare-ups in the early fall. Going from summer to fall, my Lupus can be as unpredictable as the North Carolina weather.

With an autoimmune disease, your immune system is in a constant state of hyperactivity, meaning it is working overtime and actually working against healthy tissue rather than defending your body. This is why providing your body some regularity in day-to-day routines is important to prevent flare-ups; the more routine your body has, the less likely your immune system will be triggered into an unexpected flare-up.

Autoimmune flare-ups are temporary worsening of disease symptoms usually brought on by increased stress. An acute flare-up can leave you unable to complete your daily activities for a day or up to a week, while a chronic flare-up is a prolonged worsening of disease symptoms that may warrant medical attention. Whether acute or chronic, flare-ups are as inconvenient as an unexpected visit from your relative who stays for a week, forcing you to rearrange your entire week and cancel plans with your friends.

With Lupus, and my specific case, acute flare-ups feel a lot like complete exhaustion. For me, flare-ups can have a gradual on-set. I will get achy fingers and hands in the evening after a long day and that is my warning sign. Sometimes flare-ups are unexpected, and I just wake up feeling completely exhausted--like I was hit by a truck in my sleep. When I wake up with a flare, I feel incredibly weak with a lot of pain in my hands, fingers, wrists, and upper limbs. I also experience what is known as “Lupus fog,” which makes it difficult for me to concentrate or think clearly.

A flare is different for each individual person and each autoimmune disease, but I can assure you that it is not fun for anyone.

Flare-ups are often triggered by additional external or internal stress, such as stress brought on by the irregularity of changing seasons. The change in temperatures, the change in daylight hours, spending less time outside, and seeing friends and family less often can contribute to both internal and external stressors that lead to flare-ups.

“Going from summer to fall, my Lupus can be as unpredictable as the North Carolina weather.”

Once I realized the fall was my most vulnerable time of the year, I began to pay attention and search for ways to prevent flare-ups. I wrote down symptoms that I noticed, and searched for ways to alleviate those symptoms.

Every year is different and presents new challenges, but the tips I will be sharing over the next couple of weeks are what I believe to be a strong foundation for not just surviving the fall, but thriving through the winter months as well.

I will be sharing a new tip each week with ways you can implement these strategies into your lifestyle as we say goodbye to summer and hello to fall. These tips will be for people with autoimmune diseases, as well as for their friends and loved ones who might want to know how to best provide support as you navigate your changing seasons.

Check back next week for ways to implement scheduled rest and why it is probably the most important strategy in preventing autoimmune flare-ups.