Is lupus hard to live with?

Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease. It is difficult to diagnose, hard to live with, and a challenge to treat.
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Can you live normal life with lupus?

Many people with lupus can minimize flares, lessen the burden of the disease and live a quality life by following their treatment plan and taking care of themselves. In fact, nearly 90 percent of people with lupus live to a normal life expectancy.
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How hard is it living with lupus?

Having lupus can make everyday life challenging. When your lupus is active, symptoms like joint stiffness, pain, fatigue, confusion, or depression can make simple tasks difficult — and sometimes impossible. Since these symptoms aren't visible, the people around you may have trouble understanding how you feel.
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Is having lupus a big deal?

Lupus is a lifelong disease that can affect many parts of your life. But, many women with lupus live long, healthy lives. You can take steps to control your symptoms, prevent lupus flares, and cope with the challenges of lupus.
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What should you not do if you have lupus?

5 Things to Avoid if You Have Lupus
  1. (1) Sunlight. People with lupus should avoid the sun, since sunlight can cause rashes and flares. ...
  2. (2) Bactrim and Septra (sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim) Bactrim and Septra are antibiotics that contain sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. ...
  3. (3) Garlic. ...
  4. (4) Alfalfa Sprouts. ...
  5. (5) Echinacea.
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Living with Lupus: a patient perspective



What triggers lupus flare ups?

Lupus flare-ups can be triggered by stress, infection, or missed doses of medication. To prevent a lupus flare, focus on your medication schedule, self-care, and sun protection. Hydroxychloroquine is the best medication to help prevent lupus flares.
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Is lupus a terminal illness?

With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span. It is true that medical science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, and some people do die from the disease. However, for the majority of people living with the disease today, it will not be fatal.
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Does lupus qualify for disability?

For Social Security's purposes, lupus qualifies as a disability when it meets these conditions: It involves two or more organs or body systems. It includes at least two major signs or symptoms, such as severe fatigue, fever, malaise, and involuntary weight loss.
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Is lupus a death sentence?

Lupus is not a death sentence. Most patients live normal, healthy, and full lives. They may need to modify things such as sun exposure, stress levels, etc. to maintain good health.  It is important that you see a rheumatologist and follow his/her recommendations.
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What are the top 5 signs of lupus?

Lupus facial rash
  • Fatigue.
  • Fever.
  • Joint pain, stiffness and swelling.
  • Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body.
  • Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure.
  • Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods.
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Does lupus get worse with age?

With age, symptom activity with lupus often declines, but symptoms you already have may grow more severe. The accumulation of damage over years may result in the need for joint replacements or other treatments.
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Does lupus get progressively worse?

Symptoms That May Indicate You Have Lupus

The presentation of lupus symptoms is usually subtle at first and gradually worsens over time. Doctors sometimes misdiagnose lupus as rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia because it affects the same organs that those conditions do.
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What is the most serious form of lupus?

There are several different types of lupus: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common and most serious type of lupus. SLE affects all parts of the body. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus, which affects only the skin.
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What are the final stages of lupus?

According to the Lupus Research Alliance, about half of all people with lupus experience cognitive difficulties with thought processes. Around 1 in 5 people experience headaches, memory loss, mood swings, and stroke. Blood clots might also develop. These might also lead to dangerous complications, such as stroke.
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Can you work with lupus?

Many people with lupus are able to continue to work, although they may need to make changes in their work environment. Flexible work hours, job-sharing, and telecommuting may help you to keep working. It may be helpful to begin to make such arrangements soon after you have been diagnosed with lupus.
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What are the chances of dying from lupus?

Can people die of lupus? It is believed that between 10-15 percent of people with lupus will die prematurely due to complications of lupus. However, due to improved diagnosis and disease management, most people with the disease will go on to live a normal life span.
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What are the top 10 signs of lupus?

Top 10 Most Common Lupus Symptoms Include:
  • Achy or swollen joints (arthralgia)
  • Unexplained fever (more than 100° F)
  • Swollen joints (arthritis)
  • Prolonged or extreme fatigue.
  • Skin rash, including a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose.
  • Pain in the chest when breathing deeply (pleurisy)
  • Hair loss.
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How do you feel when you have lupus?

They may be painless, or you may have soreness or dry mouth. Prolonged or extreme fatigue. You may feel tired or exhausted even when you get enough sleep. Fatigue can also be a warning sign of a lupus flare.
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Does lupus make you gain weight?

Weight changes — Lupus can sometimes cause weight loss or weight gain. Weight loss may be unintentional and due to decreased appetite or problems with the digestive system (see 'Digestive system' below). It can also be a side effect of some medications used to treat lupus.
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How do you make someone with lupus feel better?

Practice good self-care
  1. Learn more about lupus and how to take care of yourself.
  2. Take your medicines exactly as prescribed. ...
  3. Do not smoke. ...
  4. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. ...
  5. Avoid other people who are sick with colds or influenza (flu). ...
  6. Brush and floss your teeth each day. ...
  7. Get regular eye examinations.
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Does lupus affect your teeth?

Tooth decay was present in 100% of people with active lupus disease and 85% of people with inactive lupus – possibly due to reduced salivary flow or dry mouth, a common development of lupus. People with lupus exhibit more tooth loss than healthy population.
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What are the 3 types of lupus?

There are three types: Acute cutaneous lupus. Chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, or discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus.
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What are the 11 symptoms of lupus?

Eleven common symptoms of lupus include:
  • Extreme fatigue.
  • Joint pain or swelling.
  • Swelling in the hands, feet, or around the eyes.
  • Fever.
  • Headache.
  • Sensitivity to light.
  • Chest pain when inhaling deeply caused by inflammation in the lining of the lungs.
  • Butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose.
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How long can you live with lupus untreated?

Before lupus treatments were available, the five-year survival rate for people with lupus was less than 50%. However, these studies did not measure the lifespan of the other 50% who survived beyond the five-year mark. There are many people living with lupus 10 to 40 years after diagnosis.
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Does lupus run in families?

While the survey of nearly 6,000 participants did not find new genetic factors causing lupus as hoped, the study confirmed that lupus can run in many families.
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