f you experience severe pain, or stiff and swollen joints, you should avoid or limit activities that contribute to feelings of pain. It is important to take breaks if you need them. It is a good idea to limit exercises that are high-impact, such as jogging, weightlifting and high-impact aerobic exercises.
1 After a 12-week aerobic exercise program, there was a noticeable difference in some individuals, which revealed that exercise benefits the immune system and does not trigger inflammation in lupus, even if the individual is going through a flare-up.
You can take action to treat your lupus flare, too. The following can help you feel better sooner: Rest and sleep.
Regular physical activity can lower your risk of serious health problems like heart disease and osteoporosis. It can also help reduce inflammation and ease lots of different lupus symptoms.
If you have a flare of your lupus symptoms, you may need to reduce or stop your exercise activity to prevent damage to inflamed joints and muscles and to avoid fatigue. Although exercise can help to reduce feelings of fatigue, too much exercise could trigger a lupus flare-up.
Take part in intense physical activities such as jogging, weight lifting, or high-impact aerobics only with your doctor's permission. In general, people with lupus get the most and longest-lasting benefits from low-impact exercises such as swimming, walking, yoga, or stretching. Keep an Exercise Journal.
In addition to your provider's recommendations, there are some things you can do to get through a lupus flare. They include: Increased rest and relaxation—both body and mind. Taking your medications as directed.
A daily walk or swim, for example, can lower stress, clear your head, improve your mood, and help fight tiredness. Use meditation, yoga, or guided imagery to relax. Get plenty of rest. Some people with lupus need up to 12 hours of sleep every night.
Lupus flare-ups can occur at any time, and last anywhere from several days to a few weeks or more. They can vary in severity, ranging from mild to life-threatening. Bouts of remission, when people with lupus don't have any symptoms, are common following a flare-up.
If you are experiencing swollen joints or muscle pain, you should avoid or at least limit activities that may be demanding on joints and muscles, such as jogging, weightlifting, or high-impact aerobics.
During a flare, some of the symptoms you already had get worse or brand-new symptoms appear. It could be a light rash that spreads or gets darker or mouth sores that suddenly show up. Many lupus flare symptoms can be painful and debilitating.
Emotional stress -- such as a divorce, death in the family, or other life complications -- and anything that causes physical stress to the body -- such as surgery, physical harm, pregnancy, or giving birth -- are examples of triggers that can set off lupus or bring about a lupus flare.
Regular exercise is paramount in managing an autoimmune condition for the following reasons: Done correctly, it produces anti-inflammatory compounds, such as endorphins and endothelial nitric oxide.
No form of treatment can cure lupus. However, there is some evidence that certain natural treatments may help reduce the symptoms and inflammation it causes. These include curcumin, omega-3s, vitamin D, and green tea. Natural treatments cannot replace medical treatment for lupus.
Not to mention, fatigue is one of the most troublesome symptoms of lupus. Make sure you're getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night to keep your energy up. Build a support network. Build a support system of people you trust to help you cope with lupus symptoms and flares.
Your doctor may recommend one or a combination of the following: Hydroxychloroquine: an antimalarial drug that is effective for treating lupus-related arthritis and rashes. It reduces flares by 50 percent and may also help prevent blood clots.
Cope With Stress
Learning as much as you can about lupus and what you can do to feel better. Talking to your friends and family to help them understand what is happening to your body. Taking a break from focusing on the disease, and spending some time doing activities you enjoy. Meditating, reading, or deep breathing.
Getting enough sleep can help you prevent lupus flares, manage fatigue, and keep your body's immune system healthy.
Flares last anywhere from weeks to months, unless there is a change in care to address them. Those of us involved in functional medicine understand that nothing simply “just happens” in the body.
Lupus is a chronic disease with no cure.
This means that you can manage it with treatment, but it will not go away. Treatment can help improve your symptoms, prevent flares, and prevent other health problems often caused by lupus. Your treatment will depend on your symptoms and needs.
It is safe for lupus patients to run a marathon if their lupus is not active, and they are in great shape. It is important to be well hydrated during the run, of course. Lupus patients certainly should not run a marathon if their lupus is even a little bit active.
Take a Nap
A good night's sleep fights fatigue and keeps your immune system healthy. But sleep problems are common in lupus, so it can be hard to get a full 7 to 9 hours at once. Take a daytime nap to make up for what you miss at night. Try to get naps in during the early- to mid-afternoon, not too close to bedtime.
Flares are an unfortunate part of living with lupus, but lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of flares. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, avoiding stress, and staying out of the sun will help.