Living with Lupus
Tooth Decay, Dental Caries, and Lupus
Trips to the dentist aren’t really fun. But, they are crucial to...
Flare Triggers and Early Lupus Symptoms
Recognizing flare triggers makes it possible to predict changes in lupus disease activity before...
Low-Dose Naltrexone, Receptors, & Lupus
Naltrexone is best known for helping treat drug and alcohol addiction. But, low-dose naltrexone treatment may also reduce lupus pain and inflammation. Medications are designed to impact the body in a particular way, towards a particular goal. What they do in the body, the drug action,...
Anxiety, Chronic Stress, and Lupus Symptoms
About 37% of people with lupus have also been diagnosed with anxiety. Feelings of chronic stress can permeate your life and these feelings shouldn't be ignored. Anxiety is a sense of fear or panic that intrudes into your thoughts, keeps you awake...
The Top Lupus Tip to Share with My Younger Self Is…
Experience: The useful tidbits you learn along the way (but wish you knew from the beginning) Over time, you become an expert in living with lupus. You build a lupus treatment team that works for you. You get the schedule of medications and office visits down. You get used...
Allergies, Immunoglobulin E, & Lupus Symptoms
Spring brings more than warm weather. Flowers, pollen, and insects can add allergies to the mix for Lupus Warriors. An allergy is a reaction by your immune system to a stimulus that does not bother other people. An allergen is, simply, a personal trigger that sends your immune system into...
Oral Ulcers, Mouth Sores, & Lupus
Oral ulcers and mouth sores are a common symptom of lupus, affecting around 50% of Lupus Warriors. These ulcers may be an indication of changes in disease activity. An oral ulcer or canker sore is a shallow injury in the cheeks, tongue, or other soft parts of the mouth....
Pets, Health Benefits of Animals, & Lupus
“Sometimes it feels like my pet is the only one that understands me,” is a common refrain for many Lupus Warriors. Beyond being good listeners and friends, pets may also offer some health benefits for people with lupus. You’ll see videos of animals being...
Itchy Skin, Urticaria, & Rashes with Lupus
Rashes and lesions are common symptoms of lupus. Itchy skin can be more than an inconvenience -- it can be in indicator of changes in disease activity. The American College of Rheumatology uses an 11-item classification index to monitor lupus disease involvement. 4 of the 11 items relate to the skin.[thb_gap...
Smoking, e-Cigarettes, Nicotine, & Lupus
Many of the dangers of smoking cigarettes, including cancers, COPD, and emphysema, are well known. For Lupus Warriors, it's also important to understand the impacts of nicotine on the immune system. Cigarette smoke, including secondhand smoke, is well-known as a risk factor for different kinds of cancers, infections, cardiovascular...
I Wish That My Rheumatologist Understood…
Rheumatologists are experts when it comes to autoimmune diseases like lupus. But, that doesn't mean that they understand all the challenges of being a Lupus Warrior. Rheumatologists are key members of the lupus treatment team and are often the clinician that will make a lupus diagnosis. But,...