Healthy Living

Steps to Remaining Balanced with Lupus

Steps to Remaining Balanced with Lupus

Steps to Remaining Balanced with Lupus

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the body’s immune system going into overdrive and attacking normal, healthy tissues, resulting in inflammation of and damage to multiple organs like the brain, heart, kidneys, and lungs. Diagnosis can often be difficult as lupus presents symptoms similar to other diseases. A facial rash unfolding like butterfly wings across both cheeks through the bridge of the nose is the most distinctive symptom of lupus. It occurs in many, but not all cases. According to data gathered by the Lupus Foundation of America, there are five million people suffering from some form of lupus all over the world.

What Happens in the Body of a Lupus Patient?

The role of the body’s immune system is to produce proteins called antibodies to fight against antigens like viruses and bacteria. In a lupus patient, the immune system fails to distinguish between what is bad and what is not, resulting in it attacking everything altogether and thus causing swelling and tissue damage.

Lupus arises from a number of risk factors, from a genetic predisposition for the disease to environmental influences. Those who have inherited a susceptibility to lupus may develop the disease through exposure to certain triggers like sunlight, infections, and medications. Other risk factors include gender, age, and race. Studies have shown that lupus is common among African-American, Hispanic, and Asian women between the ages of 15 and 40.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the immune system starts to attack the normal, healthy tissues of the body, leading to inflammation of and damage to multiple organs of the body, such as the kidneys, brain, lungs, and heart. Factors such as genes and environmental influences, among others, can lead to a greater risk of developing lupus. Lupus is known to be common among African-American, Hispanic, and Asian women. It has many forms, but the more common one is systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE. This disease can make a person weak both physically and mentally, so it is important to find ways to remain balanced even in stressful situations. Below are a few methods to help an individual keep a level head even with lupus:

  • Try to be creative and keep your brain engaged: We all have a creative side in us and it just needs to be encouraged. An individual with lupus needs to discover that creative part and work on developing it. If one is unsure about where to begin, they can turn to the internet; there are so many blogs that can offer a good starting point.
  • Read: Reading is known to be therapeutic for many individuals, both sick and healthy. In one research study, which was published in 2006 and 2009, it was reported that individuals who read a lot of fiction books had a better perspective on life, which also helped them to understand their thoughts and emotions more deeply.
  • Get some variety: Lupus may make one feel depressed as well as isolated, and people tend to feel that only those who go through this pain can understand their situation. You should not let yourself be limited by the disease; instead, try to find strength and move out of your comfort zone rather than lamenting on what’s not in your control. The whole world is out there waiting for you. You can meet up different people, talk to them, and listen to what they have to say. It will likely help you to become stronger so you can move ahead and yield some form of personal power.
  • Follow an exercise regime: Lupus is known to drain the energy out of a person, so going in for high intensity workouts would not be a good option and is generally not advisable. Instead, you can search for and carry out light to moderate forms of exercise so that the body is kept active without being exhausted, like brisk walking, a light form of jogging, or practicing yoga. Exercise should not drain you.
  • Meditation: Meditation is known to help regulate a person’s mood and also provide relief from anxiety issues. It can help the patient overcome pain as well and is known to rejuvenate the body, mind, and soul.

Lupus is a condition that can limit many aspects in an individual’s life, but the key is to take note of those limitations and pursue other activities that can allow the mind and body to move forward rather than linger in an emotional miasma.