Managing lupus symptoms

While there is no cure, losing weight can help

May is Lupus Awareness Month. For the 1.5 million Americans, mostly women, who have lupus, an awareness month is not needed. They are painfully aware of this chronic autoimmune disease without a cure that attacks healthy tissues and organs.

While lupus can be managed to improve symptoms and prevent flare-ups, symptoms come and go, and no two cases of lupus are exactly alike. Called the “invisible disease” because the symptoms are often hidden, it is also difficult to diagnose.

Lupus affects many different organs and systems, so symptoms can vary greatly and can include fatigue, fever, joint pain, stiffness and swelling, rashes, skin lesions, shortness of breath, dry eyes and headaches, among others.

While no specific cause of the disease is known, research shows that lupus likely results from a combination of genetics and environment. What is known is that lupus is most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45 in African American, Hispanic and Asian American women.

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To help manage lupus, the Lupus Foundation of America recommends:

• Taking medication as prescribed.

• Seeing the rheumatologist and getting lab work done regularly.

• Learning about lupus and your signs of flare-ups.

• Exercising helps mental, bone and heart health.

• Quitting or not smoking.

• Getting adequate sleep and rest.

• Managing stress.

• Limiting time spent in the sun and in fluorescent and halogen light, and wearing sunscreen.

• Building a support system made up of trusted people to go to for help.

Increasingly, researchers are also finding that having lupus and being overweight often results in more severe symptoms, including depression, pain, fatigue and cognitive impairment.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, the cytokines that fat releases create inflammation that cause lupus symptoms while also increasing the risk of other health problems, especially heart disease.

Putting on a few pounds is riskier for women with lupus than for women without the disease.

Studies have shown that lupus patients who lose weight have an easier time coping with symptoms. Losing excess weight will also diminish the other risk factors associated with obesity and lupus. However, losing weight can be challenging since the medications used to treat lupus, including steroids, can increase appetite and lead to weight gain, and joint pain and inflammation can make exercise difficult.

Many patients with lupus who have weight loss or bariatric surgery have been able to reduce immunosuppressive medications and steroids. However, the risks of having surgery are higher because trauma to the body can trigger a lupus flareup.

Weight loss surgery may help lupus patients who have not had success with other weight loss programs improve their lupus management. However, due to the risks of surgery for lupus patients, it is important to consult with a bariatric surgeon to understand the potential risks. ¦

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