Lupus awareness event set April 1

Advertiser Staff

The Hawai'i Lupus Foundation will hold a gathering at the State Capitol at 11 a.m. April 1 to raise awareness about the potentially devastating disease.

It's estimated that as many as 10,000 people in Hawai'i have lupus. Women of color between the ages of 15 and 44 are particularly at risk.

The disease causes the immune system to become hyperactive and attack the body's own tissue. Symptoms are often ignored because they mimic less serious illnesses and there are periods when the symptoms are not noticeable. Lupus can cause irreversible damage to vital organs if left untreated.

Symptoms include achy, painful or swollen joints lasting for more than three months; unexplained fever over 100 degrees lasting more than a few days; persistent, extreme fatigue, exhaustion and weakness, even after a restful sleep; skin rashes, especially in the shape of a butterfly across the nose and cheeks; and chest pain on deep breaths.

The April 1 gathering will include an information table, and volunteers will form a human loop with an orange paper chain made by students at Farrington High School.

For a free copy of a quiz to determine if you are at risk, and for a brochure about the disease, call the Lupus Foundation of America hotline at (888) 38-LUPUS or the Hawai'i Lupus Foundation at 538-1522 or (800) 201-1522 from Neighbor Islands. For more information, visit the Lupus Foundation of America Web site.