There’s an adage that says the body can predict the weather, or at least when it’s going to rain. In some ways, this is true. As the seasons change, many people experience a change in their health. For some, this could be the onset of a cold just as the temperature starts to slide or allergies kicking in as the spring flowers start to bloom. For the more than 50 million people in the United States with an autoimmune condition, changes in the weather present a health challenge beyond the common cold or allergies.
What Is An Autoimmune Condition?
An autoimmune condition is a disease characterized by the immune system’s inability to tell the difference between foreign cells and the body’s own cells. This causes the immune system to attack its own cells as if they were foreign. This attack causes the symptoms that autoimmune patients experience, including fatigue; joint pain and swelling; skin problems; abdominal pain or digestive issues; recurring fever; and swollen glands. While there are more than 80 known autoimmune conditions, some of the most common include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease.
How Are Autoimmune Conditions Treated?
The symptoms of autoimmune diseases are most commonly controlled through the use of medication, including biological drug products. While these medications effectively manage the symptoms of the autoimmune condition, it is at a cost to the immune system. Many of the medications used to treat autoimmune conditions belong to a class of drugs called immunosuppressants. As a side effect of these medications, patients experience a weakened immune system, thus are generally more susceptible to illness or infection.
Weather-Related Illness
There are multiple types of autoimmune conditions, many of which are impacted greatly by the weather; others minimally. 
It varies from person to person as well. In general, patients with an autoimmune condition tend to experience exacerbations, or flares, during changing weather or temperature extremes — both hot and cold. The changes in the weather place additional physiological stress on the body, leaving less resources available to deal with the body’s basic and enhanced requirements; this leading to disease exacerbations and general illness.
How Can I Best Manage My Autoimmune Condition As the Weather Changes?
Managing a chronic condition is a challenge in any weather — let alone in times of extreme temperatures, like we tend to see in the winter and summer months. Regulation of body temperature is important, and preparation is key. As we head into colder months, wearing layers and planning limited time outside are important for keeping joints flexible and moving. In hotter/sunnier weather, protection from the sun’s rays, adequate hydration, and staying in climate-controlled environments help to minimize the effects of heat on autoimmune conditions. During these weather changes (and always), medication management plays a significant role in controlling autoimmune conditions and improving well-being. Remembering to take medication as prescribed, on schedule is significant, having a great impact on health and quality of life.
How Can Noble Health Services Help?
Noble Health Services offers 
, a suite of services designed to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the prescription fulfillment process. Included in this suite of services are Noble’s state-of-the-art clinical management programs; fast, free delivery; and more.
Clinical Management Programs
Noble Health Services’ knowledgeable, dedicated clinical team is responsible for administering our state-of-the-art clinical management programs. All patients will receive ongoing monitoring for adherence as well as the safety and efficacy of their prescribed medication. Noble’s clinical pharmacists work with patients and their providers to help them understand their treatment and its actual and intended results. While a patient of Noble Health Services, our clinical team is available 24/7/365 to assist with any questions or concerns that may arise during the course of treatment — including weather-related side effects or illness.
Fast, Free Delivery
At Noble, we recognize that patients with complex, chronic conditions — including autoimmune diseases — may be dealing with symptoms that make it difficult to go out and pick up prescriptions. That’s why we offer fast, free prescription delivery to patients when they need it, where they need it. Our team will deliver prescription medications to a patient’s home, work, office, or physician’s office at no charge.
Refill by Text and Patient Portal
We offer patients the ability to manage their specialty medications quickly and easily through our Refill by Text program and our patient portal. When enrolled in the Refill by Text program, patients will receive automated text messages that guide them through the refill process. Patients enrolled in our patient portal are able to manage all aspects of their specialty medication online, including refills, claims history, billing and shipping, payment information, and more.
Powerful, Patient-Focused Care
- Free Ancillary Supplies
- 24/7/365 Availability
- And More
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