If you have lupus, you should avoid sun exposure, as this can lead to rashes, arthritis flares or even serious inflammation of your organs.
People with lupus should not stay in the sun for extended periods and should make every effort to avoid UV rays outside, which are at their peak between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Don't be fooled by an overcast day, because clouds don't filter out all of the sun's UV rays. Keep track of the time you spend in the sun.
Foods High in Cholesterol and Saturated Fats
Heart attack risk is 50 times higher in people with lupus, so patients with lupus should be extra vigilant against foods with known links to heart disease, such as red meat, fried foods, and dairy.
Enjoy a symptom-free summer
To avoid heat-related flare-ups, stay in an air-conditioned or well-cooled environment. Because lupus medications can make your skin cells less photosensitive that they would be otherwise, it's important to continue taking any prescription medications as directed through the summer months.
This means no swimming or exercising outdoors during the daytime for lupus patients. However, they can venture outdoors in the early morning or evening as long as they avoid direct sunlight.
Lupus and Summer Weather
Sun and heat exposure can cause symptoms to flare up because when UVA or UVB rays hit the skin, inflammation in the cells naturally occurs and often sets off a chain reaction of other symptoms.
Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises the general public to choose a sunscreen with at least 15 SPF, lupus experts state people with lupus should use sunscreens with at least 30 SPF but 70+ is even better, as lupus causes increased sensitivity to UV (photosensitivity).
Common symptoms that indicate a flare are: Ongoing fever not due to an infection. Painful, swollen joints. An increase in fatigue.
Researchers have shown that lupus tends to flare in spring and summer, when the days are warmer and sunnier. If you're outdoors, try to limit most of your activities to before 10am or after 4pm, which are the hottest hours of the day and when the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays are strongest.
Research has established links but not whether those factors cause lupus symptoms to worsen. The best places to live may be those with moderate temperature fluctuations and low levels of wind, humidity, and air pollution.
Some people with lupus feel unwell after going out in the sun, even for a relatively short period of time (in extreme cases for as little as a few minutes). For example, they may develop migraine, nausea (feeling sick) or joint pains. The joints may even become tender to the touch and swollen.
Previous research has established that in up to 80 percent of lupus patients, sunlight exposure can trigger both local skin inflammation and systemic flares, including kidney disease.
Many people with lupus are able to continue to work, although they may need to make changes in their work environment. Flexible work hours, job-sharing, and telecommuting may help you to keep working. It may be helpful to begin to make such arrangements soon after you have been diagnosed with lupus.
Purple is the color we wear to promote lupus awareness. You can make your own t-shirt or wear a purple hat, or paint your toenails purple, you get the idea! May is Lupus Awareness Month.
It is the ultraviolet light rays that cause the skin to tan. The majority of people with lupus tend to be unusually sensitive to ultraviolet light.
The cause of lupus is unknown, and researchers are still trying to learn what may trigger or lead to the disease. Doctors know that it is a complex autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks the person's tissues and organs.
With age, symptom activity with lupus often declines, but symptoms you already have may grow more severe. The accumulation of damage over years may result in the need for joint replacements or other treatments.
The sun is the main source of ultraviolet light and is enemy no. 1 for patients with lupus, because it can trigger the disease or trigger flares at any time in its development.
Hair loss is common in people living with lupus. The autoimmune disease causes body-wide inflammation that attacks the joints and skin, including the scalp. This can result in hair loss (alopecia ). Lupus-related hair loss can occur slowly, causing hair to become noticeably thinner gradually.
The effects lupus may have in and around the eyes include: changes in the skin around the eyelids, dry eyes, inflammation of the white outer layer of the eyeball, blood vessel changes in the retina, and damage to nerves controlling eye movement and affecting vision.
Abnormally high levels of nitric oxide in those with lupus, or other autoimmune conditions, can make the skin's blood vessels dilate, bringing more body heat to the surface – causing warmth, skin reddening and sweat.