Due to lupus often being invisible, it may be difficult for your partner to understand what you are experiencing. It is possible that they may doubt your illness, believing it is all in your head. This can be extremely painful and frustrating, causing anger and resentment.
Dating someone with lupus means you're not only in the back seat, but you're effectively in the trunk. The Experience of having a girlfriend with lupus means being a caretaker and a nurse when your girlfriend isn't feeling well enough to make it out of bed.
However, the majority of people with lupus can expect a normal or near-normal life expectancy. Research has shown that many people with a lupus diagnosis have been living with the disease for up to 40 years.
With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span. It is true that medical science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, and some people do die from the disease.
In some women, physical effects of the disease may include limited range of motion in the hips or knees and decreased vaginal lubrication. Men are reported to have higher rates of impotence. Chronic pain, stiffness and fatigue, as well as certain medications, also may decrease sexual desire among people with lupus.
Lupus can cause serious kidney damage, and kidney failure is one of the leading causes of death among people with lupus. Brain and central nervous system. If your brain is affected by lupus, you may experience headaches, dizziness, behavior changes, vision problems, and even strokes or seizures.
Mood swings and personality changes.
People with lupus may experience unpredictable changes in moods and personality traits. This can include feelings of anger and irritability.
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.
Lupus is not contagious, not even through sexual contact. You cannot "catch" lupus from someone or "give" lupus to someone. Lupus develops in response to a combination of factors both inside and outside the body, including hormones, genetics, and environment.
You can't catch lupus or pass it to someone else during oral sex, but you can get other diseases like chlamydia. If you have chronic pain and tiredness or a low libido, use touch and massage to help you become aroused. Cuddling, stroking, and kissing can all help you get into the mood, even for oral sex.
Fatigue is one of the most common lupus symptoms that may affect your day-to-day quality of life. Lack of sleep can cause inflammation in the body and make your pain, stress, or fatigue worse. To keep your energy levels in check, make sure you get 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep each night.
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.
Kidneys About one half of people with lupus experience kidney involvement, and the kidney has become the most extensively studied organ affected by lupus. Lungs About 50% of people with SLE will experience lung involvement during the course of their disease.
Since lupus affects so many parts of the body, in so many different ways, everyone's situation is different. Some people with systemic lupus can work for years with few issues. But others need some type of accommodation, such as flexible work hours or more frequent breaks.
Make It Easy for Others to Understand
Start by explaining that “lupus is a disease where the immune system makes a mistake,” says Dr. Petri. “Instead of fighting infection the way it should, the immune system starts to attack normal tissues in the body.”
Having PTSD can increase your chance of developing autoimmune diseases, including lupus. According to studies, autoimmune diseases occur more often in people with PTSD. Research has shown that trauma changes the immune system.
Class 4, or diffuse lupus nephritis
Class 4 involves damage to more than half of the glomerulus. A person will have high blood pressure. They may require dialysis as kidney function begins to worsen.