What Are Considered Vital Organs? Vital organs refer to organs essential for survival, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease. By damaging the immune system, antibodies may now recognize parts of your own body as foreign. No two cases of lupus are alike, and because of its complexity any… Continue reading What Affect Does Lupus Have On Your Organs?
Tag: lupus
What Lifestyle Changes Can Help Manage Lupus Symptoms?
Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease that can affect individuals in various ways, leading to a wide range of symptoms and challenges. It is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs. This results in inflammation, pain, and various symptoms that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys,… Continue reading What Lifestyle Changes Can Help Manage Lupus Symptoms?
What are the Early Signs of Lupus?
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, and blood cells. It primarily affects women, typically in their childbearing years, though it can affect anyone, including men and children. Lupus is characterized by periods of flare-ups and remission, where symptoms may… Continue reading What are the Early Signs of Lupus?
7 Things You Need to Know About Living with Lupus
After months or even years of experiencing symptoms like extreme fatigue, skin rashes, pain, or swelling in the joints, you finally got a diagnosis. It’s lupus. Because symptoms differ from person to person, can come and go, vary in intensity, and mimic symptoms of various other diseases, lupus can be difficult to diagnose. Lupus is a… Continue reading 7 Things You Need to Know About Living with Lupus
From Lupus Diagnosis to Fearless Patient Advocate
Meet Alyshia Alyshia Merchant was always healthy, but as a busy mom, she did experience fatigue from time to time. However, it wasn’t until she was out to dinner in 2012 when the early signs of her condition became more apparent. Her friends pointed out a rash that had spread across her cheeks and nose.… Continue reading From Lupus Diagnosis to Fearless Patient Advocate
Lupus Advocate and PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors Member, Juana Mata
“Living with lupus [a systemic autoimmune disease] is difficult. I thrive by staying positive,” says 2019 Team of Advisors member, Juana (@Juanymata). Advocating on behalf of lupus patients like herself is one key way Juana stays positive. Off and Running Only months after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, Juana Mata and her two sisters formed a team to… Continue reading Lupus Advocate and PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors Member, Juana Mata
Instagram star Jokiva Bellard on living out loud with lupus: “You have to love yourself – you have to put yourself first”
Jokiva Bellard’s old wardrobe: Hoodies, jogging pants, loose clothes, long sleeves. In a word? “Tomboy. I didn’t want anyone to notice me.” She was covering up skin plaques caused by discoid lupus – which routinely brought stares and prying questions from the public. Then came the facemasks. The model, who hails from New Orleans but… Continue reading Instagram star Jokiva Bellard on living out loud with lupus: “You have to love yourself – you have to put yourself first”
From tomatoes to turmeric: Can foods fight inflammation?
Inflammation is a hot topic. What’s it all about? And what’s the scoop on certain diets, foods and supplements, such as turmeric, when it comes to fighting inflammation? What is inflammation? Not all inflammation is “bad.” Acute inflammation is part of the body’s natural way of defending itself from foreign substances like viruses, bacteria, cuts and splinters.… Continue reading From tomatoes to turmeric: Can foods fight inflammation?
GF + DF recipe from LupusChick: Berry Bliss Smoothie Bowl
Our partner Marisa Zeppieri-Caruana, founder of LupusChick, blogs about healthy cooking and living with lupus and other chronic conditions. Check out this gluten-free, dairy-free recipe she wanted to share with the lupus community (or anyone who’d like to try it) before berry season winds down! One of my favorite aspects about summer is seeing berries… Continue reading GF + DF recipe from LupusChick: Berry Bliss Smoothie Bowl
Bright ideas: Members share 7 head-to-toe tips for sun safety with lupus
With summer just around the bend, we’ve rounded up PatientsLikeMe members’ sun-safety and photosensitivity tips for people living with lupus. Photosensitivity is increased sensitivity to sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet (UV) light, sometimes causing a rash or other skin reaction. On PatientsLikeMe, thousands of people with lupus say they’ve experienced photosensitivity – more than… Continue reading Bright ideas: Members share 7 head-to-toe tips for sun safety with lupus