How Lupus Affects Your Body
How Lupus Affects Your Body
Protect your skin from the sun. Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50 or higher, and avoid the sun in the middle of the day. Wear wide-brimmed hats and protective clothing in the sun.
Be gentle on your hair. Use a baby shampoo and conditioner. Avoid harsh chemicals on your hair.
Wear mittens and thick socks when it's cold. If you have lupus, Raynaud's is usually related to being in the cold. So do what you can to keep your hands warm.
Lupus can inflame the kidneys, causing permanent damage. This can lead to swelling in the legs and high blood pressure. Your doctor will look for protein or blood cells in your urine, which are signs of kidney damage. Sometimes, lupus can lead to kidney failure and require dialysis.
What you can do:
Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of kidney problems, such as swelling in your ankle or lower leg, foamy urine, or blood in your urine.
Keep up with checkups with your lupus doctor, or rheumatologist, who will do blood tests to make sure your kidneys are working well.
Lupus can affect your brain and the nerves in your spinal cord in several ways. If it does, you may have:
What you can do:
Ease stress. Try yoga or tai chi to reduce stress and relax muscles.
Use reminders. Pillboxes, Post-its, your cell phone voice recorder, labels, and other aids can help you remember and organize.
Get help. Build a strong support network. Consider cognitive therapy to manage thinking issues, or counseling if you are anxious or depressed. Lupus medicine may help memory and thinking.
The most common eye problem is dryness or a gritty feeling. Rarely, blood vessel changes in the retina can weaken your vision. Lupus can also damage nerves in the muscles that control your eye movements.
What you can do:
Use artificial teardrops for dry eyes.
In this article
Skin continued...
Protect your skin from the sun. Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50 or higher, and avoid the sun in the middle of the day. Wear wide-brimmed hats and protective clothing in the sun.
Be gentle on your hair. Use a baby shampoo and conditioner. Avoid harsh chemicals on your hair.
Wear mittens and thick socks when it's cold. If you have lupus, Raynaud's is usually related to being in the cold. So do what you can to keep your hands warm.
Kidneys
Lupus can inflame the kidneys, causing permanent damage. This can lead to swelling in the legs and high blood pressure. Your doctor will look for protein or blood cells in your urine, which are signs of kidney damage. Sometimes, lupus can lead to kidney failure and require dialysis.
What you can do:
Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of kidney problems, such as swelling in your ankle or lower leg, foamy urine, or blood in your urine.
Keep up with checkups with your lupus doctor, or rheumatologist, who will do blood tests to make sure your kidneys are working well.
Brain and Central Nervous System
Lupus can affect your brain and the nerves in your spinal cord in several ways. If it does, you may have:
- Clouded thinking, confusion, or memory loss
- Headaches
- Depression and anxiety
- Seizures
- Rarely, strokes
What you can do:
Ease stress. Try yoga or tai chi to reduce stress and relax muscles.
Use reminders. Pillboxes, Post-its, your cell phone voice recorder, labels, and other aids can help you remember and organize.
Get help. Build a strong support network. Consider cognitive therapy to manage thinking issues, or counseling if you are anxious or depressed. Lupus medicine may help memory and thinking.
Eyes
The most common eye problem is dryness or a gritty feeling. Rarely, blood vessel changes in the retina can weaken your vision. Lupus can also damage nerves in the muscles that control your eye movements.
What you can do:
Use artificial teardrops for dry eyes.