Living with Lupus

Do you live with constant aches and pains?  Do you often run a fever, even though you don’t have a cold? Are you tired most of the time? If any of the above symptoms sound familiar, you may want to take note - they may be an early sign of lupus. What exactly is lupus? Are there other warning signs you should be aware of? How do you know if you’re at risk? Keep reading for the answers to all of those questions and more.

Do you live with constant aches and pains?  Do you often run a fever, even though you don’t have a cold? Are you tired most of the time?

If any of the above symptoms sound familiar, you may want to take note. While these symptoms can indicate any number of other conditions, they may also be an early sign of lupus, an inflammatory disease that chronically affects various parts of the body.

What exactly is lupus? Are there other warning signs you should be aware of? How do you know if you’re at risk? Keep reading for the answers to all of those questions and more.

Lupus Defined
Lupus is the common name for systemic lupus erythematosus, also called SLE. It is categorized as an autoimmune disease, which means that your body’s natural defense system, or immune system, fails to distinguish the difference between healthy cells and unhealthy foreign substances (like bacteria and viruses), and causes your body to turn on itself and destroy those healthy cells. This results in inflammation, which in turn causes swelling, pain, and tissue damage throughout the body.

 If you develop severe lupus, you may have problems with your kidneys, heart, lungs, or nervous system.

In the kidneys, lupus-related inflammation can prevent the blood from properly filtering out impurities. When the heart becomes inflamed, congestive heart failure can occur. And when the nervous system is affected by lupus, conditions can range from memory loss to severe strokes. Lupus can also affect the blood and circulatory systems, the skin and the joints.

What causes lupus?
Unfortunately, the cause of lupus is not known at this time. Some experts believe that certain people are born with certain genes that affect how the immune system works and that they are more likely to get lupus. A number of other factors can trigger lupus attacks. These include viral infections and sunlight.

Who is at risk?
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, roughly 2 million Americans have some form of the disease and 16,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. Alarmingly, 90 percent of lupus sufferers are women, the majority of which are between the ages of 15 and 45. African-Americans, Native Americans, Asians and Latinos are more susceptible than Caucasians.

Symptoms
Symptoms of lupus can vary from person to person, and not every person who suffers from Lupus has the same experience. However, the most common symptoms of lupus include achy and swollen joints, chest pain, redness, fever, fatigue, mouth ulcers, hair loss, sensitivity to light, seizures and an inability to function normally.

Treatment Options
When it comes to lupus treatments, the exact approach varies dramatically depending on which parts of the body are affected and the severity of the symptoms. Hormones are often used to address inflammation and immunosuppressant drugs can keep the immune system running optimally. From the drugstore aisles, NSAIDs (such as naproxen and ibuprofen) can also reduce inflammation. But if these medications make your stomach upset or produce an otherwise unpleasant reaction, you may want to consider the benefits of alternative medicine.

Supplements made from ginger and turmeric, for example, reduce inflammation and alleviate soreness and stiffness. Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil, were found to improve general symptoms and improve blood flow in people with lupus.

Additionally, people diagnosed with lupus should consider alternative forms of exercise, such as yoga and Pilates, to strengthen their bodies and improve the range of motion and flexibility in areas stiffened by their disease.

If you are living with lupus, you know it’s not easy. But with treatment options on your side, and knowing how to avoid the things that trigger your lupus symptoms, you can manage the disease and maintain your regular, daily activities.