Lupus is a very serious condition! It's not one to be taken lightly! Nearly 1.5 million Americans are victims of lupus. It is a chronic, autoimmune disease which causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. For most people, lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs, however for others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems. Thousands of Americans die each year from lupus-related complications.
There are different types of Lupus:
Discoid Lupus affects the skin and a rash may appear on the face, neck and scalp.
Systemic Lupus can affect any body organ and some people with Discord Lupus can develop this later on. Some people may have skin rashes and joint problems however in some people it can also affect lungs, kidneys and other bodily organs.
Drug-induced Lupus is caused by some medications that affect people differently.
Lupus is not easy to diagnose, because the symptoms are also symptoms of other things. Some of the symptoms are that you just don't FEEL good! Rash, excessive weight loss, fever, very tired, hair loss, sores in mouth or nose, and other symptoms that don't occur in everyone. Lupus affects everyone differently....what one experiences another won't. Some people have seizures, chest pains, kidney problems and other problems. Many also have classic "flu" like symptoms - nausea, dizziness, and intestinal pain, and some have mood swings and depression.
People with Lupus should eat a well-balanced diet and get plenty of exercise. Some people with Lupus need to avoid extreme cold or hot temperatures as well as bright sunlight. A very good sunscreen may also help when you get ready to go outside but it's not wise to stay out for too long a time. As I said, Lupus affects everyone differently so this applies only to those who experience problems with fingers and hands in heat/cold or their eyes in the sunlight. Also, those who experience seizures need to try and avoid sitting before a computer screen or television for too long of a period as well as anything else that brings on the seizures. Other things that make Lupus worse is smoking, drinking alcohol and not taking your medication when you are suppose to. It's very important to visit the doctor regularly.
If you feel that you could possibly have Lupus or know someone who you suspect may have it, immediate medical check-up and tests are highly important! Keep in mind that Lupus is NOT always fatal! Around 80 % or so people who have Lupus will be just fine provided they take their medication and make sure the doctor knows when any changes occur so that treatment can be started as soon as possible.
For more information, contact the Lupus Foundation of America at 1-800-558-0121.
If you would like a copy of the Lupus-Self Test and an
informational about the disease, call 1-800-355-7473.
Lupus was a very obscure disease when Shani was diagnosed.
When we found out that Shani had it, we knew next to nothing about it.
We had no idea how deadly it can be. I would like to post some links for
people *which are below* about the disease and about the dangerous 'over
use' of Prednisone! Shani actually died from a fungus that developed from
the Prednisone known as Aspergillosis. This is a very deadly and relatively
unknown fugus. It literally ate her up from the inside out. She bled to
death and her internal organs literally melted!
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