What questions should I ask about lupus?

What are some signs and symptoms of lupus or a lupus flare that I might expect and how do I prevent a flare-up? What are my treatment options? What are the possible side effects of my lupus medications and could they trigger or aggravate my lupus symptoms?

How lupus affects a person’s daily life?

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.

What do you say to someone with lupus?

Ten things to tell your friends about lupus

  • It’s not contagious, relax.
  • I might be on the same medications as people with cancer or malaria…but I don’t have cancer or malaria.
  • Yes, it affects my immune system.
  • It’s more common than you think.
  • Guys can get it too.
  • No, I’m not lazy.

What is the most important thing to know about lupus?

Lupus is a chronic (long-term) disease that can cause inflammation and pain in any part of your body. It’s an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system — the body system that usually fights infections — attacks healthy tissue instead. Lupus most commonly affects your: Skin.

How can you help someone with lupus?

How you can help your loved one with lupus

  1. Educate yourself about lupus. Work together with your loved one to better understand the disease.
  2. Work on healthy communication. Lupus is a big adjustment, make time to talk about how this transition is affecting you.
  3. Create a care file.
  4. Develop a daily care plan.

Is lupus genetic?

It’s likely that lupus results from a combination of your genetics and your environment. It appears that people with an inherited predisposition for lupus may develop the disease when they come into contact with something in the environment that can trigger lupus. The cause of lupus in most cases, however, is unknown.

What questions should I ask my doctor about lupus treatment?

Has the disease already damaged my kidneys or other organs? Should I have a bone density test? Should I be taking calcium or other supplements? How long will I need to take these lupus drugs? Is it safe for me to become pregnant if I have lupus? Are my lupus medications safe to take while I’m pregnant? How often should I have checkups?

What are the symptoms of lupus?

There is a wide range of lupus symptoms, but some of the common ones include a facial rash, unexplained fever, painful joints, chest pains, fatigue, hair loss, sun sensitivity, swelling in the legs, swollen glands, and Raynaud’s phenomenon where the fingers turn white or blue in cold temperatures. Do I need to see a specialist doctor?

How can I Manage my lupus?

Lupus is managed by medication and lifestyle changes. Looking after your overall health is key to lupus management. Eating well, exercising, getting plenty of rest and avoiding stress as much as possible will help keep lupus flares at bay.

What are the mechanisms of lupus?

The first point is that lupus manifestations involve a wide range of effector mechanisms, each relating to a different type of autoantibody, of which there are often many in lupus. Anti-phospholipid syndrome is perhaps the easiest to understand. Antibodies to phospholipid disturb the coagulation cascade.