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nwflupus.org
  • Home
  • Events
  • Living with Lupus Series
  • Monthly Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Support Group
  • Resources
  • Donate
  • Media
  • Blog

Living Well with Lupus

Learn How to Explain Lupus

Learn How to Explain Lupus

Learn How to Explain Lupus

 It's important for family and friends to understand lupus so they know how they can help.  

What Lupus is Not

Learn How to Explain Lupus

Learn How to Explain Lupus

 Lupus is not contagious, not related to cancer, and not related to HIV or AIDS.  

What Lupus Is

Learn How to Explain Lupus

Make Adjustments as a Family

 Lupus is an autoimmune disease that when developed will have the rest or your life.  

Make Adjustments as a Family

Make Adjustments as a Family

Make Adjustments as a Family

 Make sure you share details of your lupus symptoms and treatment.  

Take Time for Yourself

Make Adjustments as a Family

Find the Support you Need

 Learn as much as you can about lupus but take breaks when you need to.  

Find the Support you Need

Make Adjustments as a Family

Find the Support you Need

 Build a support system, make sure you send time doing activities you enjoy, and identify family members and friends you can turn to.  

Managing Lupus

CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS

 Conventional treatments include immunosuppressive medications, anti-rheumatic drugs, NSAID pain killers, steroids, blood pressure medications and anticoagulants, synthetic hormones and birth control pills.  

NATURAL TREATMENTS

 

Anti-inflammatory diet to heal gut issues, exercise, stress reduction, getting enough sleep and resting, protecting and healing sensitive skin, supplements, treating pain and inflammation naturally. 

DIET AND NUTRITION

 

  • The word diet implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight management. Diet and nutrition with food and beverage provide the energy and nutrients you need to improve health, manage disease and reduce the risk of disease.
  • There's no one dietary program that can cure or treat lupus, but a healthy lupus diet can go a long way in preventing flare-ups and decreasing complications.  
  • As the Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. puts it, "The scarcity of lupus-specific diet and nutrition information remain a great frustration. 
  • A well-balanced that contains lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of meats, poultry and fish. 
  • A diet filled with organic, unprocessed foods, raw & cooked vegetable, fresh fruit, wild-caught fish, probiotic foods, bone broth, herbs, spices and teas. Herbs and spice such as turmeric, ginger, basil, oregano, thyme and green tea are all beneficial.
  • There is bacteria that performs essential functions like absorbing nutrients, producing hormones, and defending us from microbes and environmental toxins. 
  • Alcohol can lower the effectiveness of some medication. 
  • Find resources on nutrition to help pay attention to what. when, how often, why and how much you eat and drink. 

HEALTHY GUT

 

  • Best food for digestion include foods such as papaya, yogurt, banana, coconut, pineapple, artichoke, ginger turmeric, whole grains, and leafy greens.
  • Inflammation associated with lupus and other autoimmune reactions largely stems from an overactive immune system and poor gut health. 
  • Some of the worse foods to avoid that can cause inflammation include trans fats/hydrogenated fats, refined vegetable oils, pasteurized dairy products, refined carbohydrates and processed grain and gluten, conventional meat, poultry and eggs, added sugars, certain legumes, alcohol and too much caffeine.  

 

MANAGING SYMPTOMS

 

  • Suggestions also include trying eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.
  • Consider eating small amounts of fats, because fats can be difficult to digest. 
  • Supplementing with vitamin D because it appears to influence the immune system health. 
  • Avoid smoking cigarettes and using recreational drugs because it can lead to lung damage. 
  • Physical activity such as brisk walking, swimming, water aerobics, yoga  and cycling for 20-30 minutes can be beneficial.
  • Stress can trigger a flair-up, so consider stress relivers like exercise, meditation, acupuncture, being social, keeping a journal, herbs and essential oils.

Lupus Foundation of America

Find out more

Normal Immune System

 A normal immune system produces  B cells, which make antibodies that destroy and control harmful substances, such as viruses, bacteria and germs.  

Normal B Cell

 This type of white blood cell produces antibodies 

Antibody

 Antibodies attach themselves to germs and try to control or destroy them.  

BLyS

 B-Lymphocyte stimulates a specific protein necessary for the survival of B cells.  

Germs

 Viruses, bacteria and other invaders.  

Abnormal Immune System

 With lupus, the immune system produces autoreactive B cells, which make a type of protein called autoantibodies attack your own body, leading to inflammation. 

Autoreactive B Cell

  These are the "b: version of B cells that make harmful autoantibodies. 

Autoantibody

   White antibodies protect the body, autoantibodies work against the body. 

Inflamed Body Tissue

   A sign of lupus disease activity. 

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