On one of my fingers you will always find a gold ring with a purple stone, although I’m not really a gold person and purple isn’t one of my favorite colors. Still, I never take it off.

This piece of jewelry is more important than style; it serves as an important reminder.

It reminds me of a serious disease called lupus and my responsibility to inform others of its impact. Thus, while I enjoy writing about political topics that might be a little controversial, I also feel that it is important to offer my peers some information that may save their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Lupus is a chronic and lifelong autoimmune disease that affects approximately 1,400,000 Americans, and studies show that three out of every 10 people in the United States know someone who is living with the illness. For unknown reasons, this rarely-discussed disease causes the body to attack its own tissues and organs.

It sounds frightening, doesn’t it? Actually, lupus is not a universally fatal disease and 80-90 percent of people affected with it can expect to live a normal life span.

So why is this disease relevant to students? After all, we are constantly warned of thousands of diseases ranging from sexually transmitted diseases to any type of cancer. What makes this particular illness so important?

While 90 percent of people affected by this disease are female, 80 percent of those are between the ages of 15 and 40, making lupus very significant in the lives of college-aged people. Additionally, this disease is two to three times more common in African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans.

Many college students affected with lupus live with it for months or even years before knowing that they have it. That is due to a property of lupus that causes it to mimic different diseases, making it very difficult to detect. When young people are finally diagnosed with it, many have never heard the word “lupus” before in their lives. Although this is a common illness, awareness of it lags far behind many other diseases. For this reason, its best treatment and prevention is knowledge.

First, lupus is neither contagious nor rare. Major symptoms of lupus include achy joints, fevers, arthritis, and skin rashes. A lupus “flare” occurs when the afflicted person goes through a period where he or she exhibits one or more of these symptoms.

These warning signs are common to other diseases and often cause patients and their doctors to believe that they actually have arthritis or another related disease. This misdiagnosis can go on for months or years before lupus is finally identified. A survey of Lupus Foundation of America members suggests that more than half of those afflicted with lupus suffered for at least four years and saw three or more doctors before obtaining a correct diagnosis of lupus.

When a person is experiencing a flare, he or she can feel discomfort ranging from mild stiffness and aching to debilitating pain. Many kinds of medicines and preventative measures are prescribed to help patients cope with these flares.

By just relaying this information to a friend, sister, or classmate, you can help fight this disease with its most dreadful rival: information. When we are aware of the signs and implications of lupus, we are better equipped to prevent it and cope with it.

So I look at this gold ring on my finger and remember the person who it used to belong to. While she cannot be here to share her lupus battle with us, we can try to inform our loved ones about it and ensure that it will no longer be a silent enemy.

Nicole Marklein ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science.