A Strong Support System Can Help Lupus Patients Cope

Our immune system acts as our body’s personal fleet of internal soldiers, defending us from disease-causing organisms. An autoimmune disease develops when the immune system loses its ability to distinguish between friend and foe and ends up attacking everything altogether. One of the most common autoimmune diseases known to man is lupus, or, as it is clinically referred to as, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). While there are other types of lupus that can affect humans, SLE has gained more attention, as it is the most dangerous form. It harms internal organs like the brain, kidneys, heart, and lungs, which can ultimately lead to fatal multisystem failure. According to statistical data by the Lupus Foundation of America, 1.5 million people suffer from lupus in America alone.

When our body’s immune system loses its ability to distinguish between what is friendly and what is not, it starts to attack its own healthy systems, leading to autoimmune diseases. One such common autoimmune condition is lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE is the most common as well as the most dangerous type of lupus; it is known to harm the internal organs of the body, such as the lungs, kidney, brain, and heart. Lupus causes significant damage internally, pushing the immune system into overdrive as it attacks both antigens as well as its own healthy cells in the same manner. As lupus progresses, the antibodies produced by the body to fight the disease tend to cross the blood-brain barrier, and this leads to tissue damage of the nerve. When lupus worsens, the affected individual will seem far from the person they used to be. feeling isolated leads to depression, which can have damaging effects when faced alone without any kind of support. In such cases, it is important to live your life to the fullest, but within the physical limitations brought by the medical condition. Below are a few ways an individual can cope with lupus:

• Try to bring out your creative side. This doesn’t mean you have to do something grand or on a large scale. Instead, you can carry out simple DIY projects that can help draw out the creative person inside you and also have a therapeutic effect.
• Exercising is very important for the body, but, again, this does not mean you should take on intense workouts, as it is not recommended for certain patients due to the restrictions bought on by the disease. Try to go in for mild- to moderate-intensity workouts so that your body keeps moving without becoming overly tired. Exercising is also known to release endorphins, which are a natural painkiller and requirement for those suffering from lupus.
• Laughter is considered to be the best form of medicine by many. Try to laugh through your pain and failures, although it may not sound easy, but there is no harm in trying it.
• Meditation is said to be an effective way of calming down the body, thereby not allowing anxiety and depression to overwhelm you.
• We are what we eat, so go in for healthy foods. When dealing with any disease, we tend to lose all our energy and strength, so it is important to eat right to gain back that lost energy.
• Try to interact with others so that you don’t keep things bottled up inside of you. Speaking to someone can help you to feel emotionally connected. You can also get in touch with a support group that fully understands your needs. You could learn a great deal from them, such as certain coping techniques that can be adopted into your daily routine.