May 10 is World Lupus Day.
This is the day to spotlight the autoimmune disease, share stories of those fighting lupus and bring more attention to the condition, which is not widely known about.
Alicia Scott, Northeast Development Manager of the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) details the symptoms that she and other “lupus warriors” deal with: chronic fatigue, fevers, muscle and joint aches, mylar rash (often known as the butterfly rash), sensitivity to light, hair loss, skin lesions, dental problems and more.
"There's a myriad of symptoms that go along with lupus and lupus oftentimes mimics other conditions," Scott said.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Scott notes that it can take four to six years for lupus patients to be properly diagnosed, and patients may need to see multiple doctors while dealing with potentially debilitating symptoms.
"We refer to it as a cruel mystery because we still do not know its origin or why people have it," Scott said.
The Lupus Foundation of America is hosting an educational event on May 18 at the New Haven Free Library. Click here to register.
Local
Hartford and Norwalk will see LFA-hosted "Walk to End Lupus Now" events this fall.
The Hartford Walk will be on Sept. 28. Click here for more information. The Norwalk Walk will be on Oct. 20. Click here for more information.
