ASL - Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that disproportionately affects women and even more specifically, Black women. It occurs when the immune system begins a pattern of attacking the body’s organs when immune cells are inappropriately activated in the body.

Lupus looks different from patient to patient and its symptoms tend to ebb and flow. This means that patients who are experiencing symptoms one week may not be experiencing the same symptoms by the time they are able to see their doctor making it challenging to run tests or solidify a cause.

Lupus Warriors, a patient-preferred term, can take steps to help advocate for themselves in medical settings and change their lifestyle habits at home.

Self-advocating about your symptoms
Many Lupus Warriors struggle with feeling like their complaints aren’t taken seriously by their health care providers, and it can be easy to find yourself feeling frustrated with the amount of time and self-advocating the diagnosis process takes.

A crucial part of getting to a diagnosis is tracking your symptoms, tracking your activities and monitoring what you eat to help spot trends. Some ways you can track symptoms include:
• Using a chart system: The University of Michigan Health System has a tracking chart on their Conquer Lupus website where you can enter the symptoms you are experiencing, the activities you have done, the foods you have ate, and more. The tracker will calculate data to see the changes in your symptoms over time.
• Create your own form of a chart
• Journaling: Keep a journal of your symptoms and daily activities.

Taking care of yourself

Finally receiving a diagnosis can come with relief along with some major lifestyle changes.Michelle Kahlenberg, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of rheumatology at the University of Michigan Medical School, says some lifestyle changes can help keep symptoms of lupus under control.

Those include:
• Exercise: Regular physical activity keeps your body healthy and combats some of the muscle weakness that can come with taking steroids for lupus symptoms
• Diet: A general rule of thumb for Lupus Warriors is to avoid food with chemicals or high amounts of sugar.
• Rest: “..powering through and not getting enough rest can make symptoms worse.”
• Avoid nicotine and always wear sunscreen.

There are lots of community groups and online resources to help Lupus Warriors navigate their experiences and symptoms. The Michigan Medicine Conquer Lupus website is designed to help Warriors learn about their symptoms, including some strategies for managing symptoms like pain and fatigue.

Before making any lifestyle changes or trying different methods to treat symptoms, make sure to have a conversation with your doctor about what is right for you and your lupus.

https://www.conquerlupus.com

Full article:
https://www.michiganmedicine.org/heal...