What are some triggers for lupus flares? Common triggers include: Overwork and not enough rest. Being out in the sun or having close exposure to fluorescent or halogen light.
You may experience pain and stiffness, with or without swelling. This affects most people with lupus. Common areas for muscle pain and swelling include the neck, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms. Fever.
Common symptoms that indicate a flare are: Ongoing fever not due to an infection. Painful, swollen joints. An increase in fatigue.
With regular care, most people will not need emergency services for lupus. However, lupus can affect the heart, lungs, and blood. So if you experience any symptoms of a heart attack, stroke, or life-threatening symptoms such as difficulty breathing, seek emergency care immediately.
Kidneys About one half of people with lupus experience kidney involvement, and the kidney has become the most extensively studied organ affected by lupus.
Seek medical care for lupus if you have rapid swelling of one of your extremities, a fever over 102 F, or acute abdominal pain or chest pain. Lupus treatment may incorporate NSAIDs, antimalarial drugs, steroids, immune-suppressing agents, and other medications depending on the symptoms and signs you are experiencing.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with an increased risk of hospitalization. Multiple studies have reported SLE flare, infection, and cardiovascular (CV) events as the most common reasons for hospitalization.
Many lupus patients aren't able to do intensive physical work, like waitressing or working in a grocery store. Jobs that involve standing for long periods, like working a cash register, greeting customers, or being a hostess at a restaurant, can be physically tiring as well as rough on the joints.
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.
Hydroxychloroquine: an antimalarial drug that is effective for treating lupus-related arthritis and rashes. It reduces flares by 50 percent and may also help prevent blood clots.
Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) are autoantibodies to the nuclei of your cells. 98% of all people with systemic lupus have a positive ANA test, making it the most sensitive diagnostic test for confirming diagnosis of the disease.
Many people with lupus are unusually sensitive to the sun and other forms of ultraviolet light. A day at the beach may trigger a skin rash in areas exposed to sunlight and may worsen other lupus symptoms. Certain medications can make people with lupus even more sensitive to UV light.
Get Enough Rest to Prevent Fatigue
If you have lupus you may need even more sleep. “It's important to develop good sleeping habits,” says Jolly. “It can really make the difference in getting a good night's sleep.” Take time to relax before bedtime.
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.
Lupus flares can vary in length. Some may last several days; others may span weeks or more.
The Social Security Administration considers lupus a legal disability. It is a chronic, autoimmune disease affecting various body parts, including joints, skin, lungs, and kidneys.
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with a wide range of clinical presentations resulting from its effect on multiple organ systems. There are four main types of lupus: neonatal, discoid, drug-induced, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the type that affects the majority of patients.
Lupus can slow the digestive process, and this can cause a wide variety of GI issues. Digestive problems may be the direct result of an attack by the immune system or from medications to treat lupus. These digestive difficulties include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation.
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.”
Sunlight, stress, smoking, certain medicines, and viruses may trigger symptoms in people who are most likely to get lupus due to their genes. Hormones such as estrogen. Lupus is more common in women during their childbearing years when estrogen levels are highest. Problems with the immune system.
Because lupus is an autoimmune disease, it causes your body to attack itself. This can lead to organ damage over time. Parts of the body that can be impacted by lupus can include the skin, blood, joints, kidneys, brain, heart and lungs. Skin: Skin problems are a common feature of lupus.