Lupus Information

Symptoms of Lupus - Patients Typically Experience Some of These

Myths about lupus

Myth 1:  Women with lupus should never get pregnant because of the risk of birth defects.  With excellent care and monitoring, many women are able to get pregnant and deliver healthy babies.

Myth 2:  Family doctors can treat lupus effectively.  Most family doctors do not have the time and expertise to keep up with the most current research on lupus. 

Myth 3:  Lupus can be cured.  Lupus cannot be cured at this time, but usually it can be managed.

Myth 4:  Lupus patients are always tired.  While one symptom of lupus is extreme fatigue, with proper rest and care, many people with lupus are able to maintain energy.  This varies from patient to patient.

Tips for disease management

What can help?

• It is important to get the amount of rest you need, not what others think you need.
• It important to get good nutrition, though there are no specific dietary restrictions for lupus.  Some complications from lupus may require restricted diets, such as steroid-induced diabetes, kidney problems and cardiovascular problems.
• Moderate exercise can help, including strength training, range of motion exercise and aerobic workouts.  Care should be taken to make sure you don't over do it, especially when strength training with weights.  Water exercise is a good way to work on range of motion.
• Protect yourself from the sun with sunglasses and high SPF (30 or greater) lotion.
• De-stress yourself, set realistic expectations and get support.  Depression can be a problem and being around people will help.  Make sure people close to you understand why you aren't doing the things you used to do.
• Learn to identify when a flare is beginning by monitoring your health.  This is very hard to do.  Flares are triggered differently in each person, but be aware of stress, infection, and exhaustion or overwork.

What can hurt?

• Smoking or excessive alcohol can make things much worse.
• Not taking your medications properly.
• Avoiding regular testing and appointments with your doctors.

Typical Tests and Procedures

• Anti nuclear antibodies (ANA) blood test to detect autoimmune disorder
• Compliment Test (C3, C4, CH50, CH100) blood tests to measure proteins in the blood
• Rheumatoid Factor (RF) blood test to rule out Rheumatoid arthritis
• Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) to measure inflammation levels (Westergren Sedimentation Rate)
• A urine analysis to detect kidney problems
• Chest X-rays to detect bone or lung damage
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) to can detect heart problems
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to detect bone and connective tissue problems as well as organ problems
• Electromyography (EMG) to detect nerve problems

Autoimmune Diseases

An autoimmune disease is where the body begins to attack itself.  In medical terms: the production of antibodies (proteins in the blood that normally fight viral and bacterial agents in the body) are directed instead against the body's own tissues and organs.  Damage to certain tissues by the immune system may be permanent. Here are some other examples of autoimmune diseases.