Friday, March 15, 2013

Lupus?

Many people suffer from Lupus and I wanted to make myself aware of what this disease is.

 

What is Lupus?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys, and brain. Normally the body's immune system makes proteins called antibodies that protect the body against viruses, bacteria and other foreign invaders. These foreign invaders are called antigens.
In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies that, simply put, attack the body itself. This causes inflammation, pain and damage to various organs.
Inflammation is considered the primary feature of lupus. Inflammation causes pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, inside and/or outside the body.
For many people, lupus can be a manageable disease with relatively mild symptoms. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems.
Sometimes people with lupus experience a "flare." This occurs when some symptoms appear or get worse for short periods then disappear or get better. Even if you take medicine for lupus, you may find that there are times when the symptoms become worse. Learning to recognize that a flare is coming can help you take steps to cope with it. Many people feel very tired or have pain, a rash, a fever, stomach discomfort, headache, or dizziness just before a flare.
It’s estimated that more than 16,000 Americans develop lupus each year. More than 90 percent of people with lupus are women between the ages of 15 and 45.
In the United States, lupus is more common among African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans than Caucasians.

(http://www.couldihavelupus.gov/what-is-lupus.cfm?)

Symptoms vary from person to person as no two cases are alike (kind of like Fibromyalgia).

Symptoms may include:  Muscle joint pain, butterfly shaped rash on face (not everyone gets this), tips of fingers turn blue when cold, chest pain known as pleurisy, Fever greater than 100, prolonged or extreme fatigue, Anemia,
kidney problems, hair loss, Light sensitivity, abnormal blood clotting, eye disease, seizures, nose or mouth ulcers.

There are similarities to FM such as extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, I get chest pain Pleurisy a lot, I am anemic, I do loose a lot of hair...  I wonder if I could have Lupus?  I hope not. 

I am however getting bloodwork done tomorrow:(  I hate getting blood work!

I pray that some genius discovers a cure for both Fibromyalgia and Lupus really soon!  God please heal us!


If you would like to share more on your disease of Lupus please let me know and I can post it for you here.

(Artwork "Joy Tree" by Artist Kelly Watts 2012)
 
May you find joy through the pain today!
 
Many hugs and blessings fellow spoonies!
 
Sincerely;
 
Kelly Watts




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