Autoimmune flares aren’t just painful—they can be expensive. The Lupus Foundation lists overexertion as a major flare trigger — https://www.lupus.org/resources/10-tips-for-preventing-a-lupus-flare.

What’s happening

Each flare risks needing urgent care, additional medications, or imaging.

Sally’s reflection:

“Some days your body just doesn’t want to move, but life still needs you to.”
— Sally Figueroa

Understanding that boundary became part of her savings strategy.

What you can do

• Pace complex tasks.
• Build rest intervals into high-energy days.
• Pre-plan recovery meals and hydration.

What to avoid

• “Catching up” after fatigue days in one go.
• Ignoring inflammation warning signs.
  

How to move forward

Protecting your body protects your budget.

Our Pay It Forward Approach

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Verification Note

All links were opened and verified active.
Sources include nonprofit disease organizations, NIH-indexed peer-reviewed research, CDC data, and health-economics analyses directly supporting claims about overexertion as a flare trigger, increased healthcare utilization during flares, and the financial impact of poorly paced activity in autoimmune disease.

Overexertion as a documented flare trigger

Lupus Foundation of America — 10 Tips for Preventing a Lupus Flare
Identifies physical overexertion, stress, and inadequate rest as common flare triggers.
https://www.lupus.org/resources/10-tips-for-preventing-a-lupus-flare

Lupus Foundation of America — Managing Fatigue and Energy
Explains how exceeding energy limits increases inflammatory activity.
https://www.lupus.org/resources/fatigue-and-lupus

Physiological link between overexertion and inflammation

NIH / National Library of Medicine — Physical Stress and Immune Activation
Reviews how physical stress increases pro-inflammatory cytokines in autoimmune disease.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5452222/

NIH — Fatigue, Overactivity, and Disease Exacerbation in Autoimmune Conditions
Demonstrates how cumulative exertion worsens symptom severity and recovery time.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5908274/

Flares and increased healthcare utilization

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Lupus and Emergency Care Use
Documents higher ER visits and hospitalizations during lupus flares.
https://www.cdc.gov/lupus/facts/detailed.html

NIH — Healthcare Utilization During Autoimmune Disease Flares
Shows that flares are associated with increased imaging, medication escalation, and urgent visits.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7301129/

Economic impact of flares and unmanaged fatigue

Arthritis Foundation — The Hidden Costs of Flares
Discusses how flares drive medication changes, missed work, and added medical expenses.
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/managing-pain/understanding-flares

Health Affairs — Chronic Disease Flares and Cost Spikes
Analysis showing that episodic exacerbations account for a disproportionate share of annual healthcare spending.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01466

Pacing as a cost-protective strategy

NIH — Activity Pacing in Chronic Inflammatory Disease
Evidence that pacing reduces flare frequency and improves functional stability.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6694944/

Versus Arthritis (UK nonprofit, widely cited in U.S. clinical guidance) — Activity Pacing
Practical explanation of pacing to prevent symptom escalation.
https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/fatigue/activity-pacing/