A number of factors can contribute to your feeling tired on a daily basis. Factors that are related to lupus include anemia, fever, and lung and heart disease. Decreased exercise capacity from reduced blood flow or inflammation in the muscles can also cause fatigue.
“Brain fog.” Others shared that the fatigue of lupus hinders their physical abilities. They cannot rally the energy to complete what were once simple, easy tasks. Now, activities like going to the grocery store or even walking feel overwhelmingly taxing.
If you aren't getting the right amount of calories, or aren't able to digest the right amount of calories, you can become very worn down and this can impact your fatigue levels. Inflammation: Any time your body is experiencing excess inflammation, such as during a lupus flare, you will feel more tired.
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.
Up to 80% of people with lupus say that fatigue is a primary symptom. About 40% of people with lupus have fatigue that's severe and doesn't go away.
Whole-body symptoms — Most people with lupus experience fatigue, fever, and weight changes at some point in their illness. Fatigue — Fatigue is the most common symptom of lupus and can be debilitating. Almost everyone with lupus experiences fatigue at some point, even when there are no other symptoms.
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.
Painful, swollen joints. An increase in fatigue. Rashes. Sores or ulcers in the mouth or nose.
Lupus occurs when the immune system, which normally helps protect the body from infection and disease, attacks its own tissues. This attack causes inflammation, and in some cases permanent tissue damage, which can be widespread – affecting the skin, joints, heart, lung, kidneys, circulating blood cells, and brain.
Having lupus can make everyday life challenging. When your lupus is active, symptoms like joint stiffness, pain, fatigue, confusion, or depression can make simple tasks difficult — and sometimes impossible. Since these symptoms aren't visible, the people around you may have trouble understanding how you feel.
Aerobic exercise helps reduce fatigue and improve cardiovascular strength. Lower-impact exercises, such as dance, bike riding, aquatics, and elliptical and arc trainers are best for people with lupus. Strength training. Strength training helps maintain muscle strength and prevent osteoporosis.
People with SLE have episodes in which the condition gets worse (exacerbations) and other times when it gets better (remissions). Overall, SLE gradually gets worse over time, and damage to the major organs of the body can be life-threatening.
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.
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.
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.
Remember that rest is also needed to restore energy. Lupus patients will want to work towards a healthy tiredness where subsequent rest or sleep recharges the batteries, and more recovery obtained in this way should help to minimise lupus tiredness.
Getting enough sleep can help you prevent lupus flares, manage fatigue, and keep your body's immune system healthy.
Muscle and joint pain.
This affects most people with lupus. Common areas for muscle pain and swelling include the neck, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms.
Lupus and the intestines
Lupus can rarely cause vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) in the intestines, sometimes called lupus enteritis. Symptoms include: Abdominal pain (pain in the belly area) Feeling very full or bloated.
Most people with lupus develop the disease between the ages of 15-44. People with lupus can experience significant symptoms, such as pain, extreme fatigue, hair loss, cognitive issues, and physical impairments that affect every facet of their lives.