Shopping, Stress and UV Rays

[Guest guest]

Shopping and stress tend to go together. Lupus patients should be aware

of this and plan accordingly.

There is nothing you can do about the rude insensitive people around

you, but you CAN do something about the way their behavior affects you.

Calming your breathing .. concentrating on keeping your breathing at a

steady pace is essential in managing stress. People always kid me about

my " yoga breathing " , but I have found that by concentrating on my

breathing keeps my heart rate down, my breathing easy, and my mind less

upset.

Also .. for those of you who shop at Walmart or Kmart, most grocery

stores .. or ANY store that uses the fluorescent light fixtures (long

rectangle boxes with long tube-shaped light bulbs) .. please be aware

that fluorescent lighting gives off UV rays unless the fixture is fitted

with a special lens.

My hubby is an electrician, so I know what these lenses look like and

the cost of these lenses and I can guarantee you Kmart and Walmart do

not go to the expense of buying them.

Lupus patients are very sensitive to UV rays, especially those who

suffer from Discoid Lupus. It is a known trigger for a flare! That is

why it is so important to wear sunscreen when outside in the sun. But

what most people don't realize is, they should be wearing UV protection

inside stores as well.

A two hour shopping spree in Walmart is equivalent to a full hour in the

sun. You don't get sunburned but you do get the full hour of UV rays.

Enough to trigger a flare of itching, rashy skin, aching muscles, low

grade fever, and/or extreme fatigue.

And you thought the shopping itself was making you ill .. guess again!!

It is the lights in the store!

So go prepared .. wear your sunscreen .. use a hat or a scarf .. and

even though you may be tired from all the walking, you wont begin a

flare that will last for several days.

" Rion "

http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html