Sharing information about the illness, including its symptoms, its treatment and its prognosis, can lessen everyone's fears and concerns. If you have lupus, the most important thing you can do is let family members know the extent of your pain and fatigue. This will help them know when they need to help out.
It's important for family and friends to understand lupus so they know how they can help. But since lupus has so many different symptoms that come and go — which may range from manageable to life-threatening — it can be hard to describe. Explain that lupus is unpredictable. Symptoms can appear, disappear, and change.
For people who don't live with lupus every day, "The best way for them to understand what fatigue and lupus is like to tell them it's like having the flu." Dr. Berman added. "Nothing you can do seems to make the fatigue any better. Also, over time the more and more you experience fatigue, the more chronic it becomes."
Lupus is a lifelong disease that can affect many parts of your life. But, many women with lupus live long, healthy lives. You can take steps to control your symptoms, prevent lupus flares, and cope with the challenges of lupus.
It is vital that people living with SLE practice these habits along with getting 7-9 hours of sleep (a little more for children) in order to prevent lupus flares, limit fatigue, and keep the body's mechanisms healthy, especially the immune system.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is the most common type of lupus. SLE is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs. It can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels.
Many people with lupus experience fatigue, or feeling tired throughout the day. For some people, fatigue can make it hard to do everyday activities like taking a shower, cooking dinner, or going to work.
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), lupus does qualify as a disability if all conditions are met. Your lupus must affect two or more organs or body systems with severe symptoms in at least one.
Lupus is a lifelong disease that can affect many parts of your life. But, many people with lupus live long, healthy lives. You can take steps to control your symptoms, prevent lupus flares, and cope with the challenges of lupus.
Many people described the pain of lupus as similar to having the flu. This means having chills and bone-weary aches throughout your entire body. The pain can be numbing and leave you feeling drained of all energy. “I explain it to others as feeling like the flu: achy joints, muscles, bones.”
Lupus causes inflammation throughout the body, which can cause problems in organs, including: Kidney damage that can lead to changes in kidney function, including kidney failure. This is called lupus nephritis. Seizures and memory problems due to changes in the brain and central nervous system.
Lupus nephritis tends to develop within 5 years of the appearance of initial lupus symptoms. The condition affects about 40% of people who have SLE and can lead to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in 22% of patients over a period of 15 years.
You should see your GP if you have persistent or troublesome symptoms that you think could be caused by SLE. While it is likely that your symptoms are being caused by a more common condition, it is important to see a doctor for a diagnosis.
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.
Stress, joint pain, and fatigue are common lupus symptoms. While rest is essential, moving your body regularly releases “feel good” hormones called endorphins. This can boost your mood and keep your stressors in check. Physical exercise can also lessen joint pain and prevent stiffness in the body.
You can take action to treat your lupus flare, too. The following can help you feel better sooner: Rest and sleep. This might mean taking some time off of work or asking for help around the house.
Kidneys About one half of people with lupus experience kidney involvement, and the kidney has become the most extensively studied organ affected by lupus.
It can affect your joints, tendons, kidneys, and skin. It can affect blood vessels. And it can affect organs such as the heart, lungs, and brain. It can cause rashes, fatigue, pain, and fever.