You can take action to treat your lupus flare, too. The following can help you feel better sooner: Rest and sleep. This might mean taking some time off of work or asking for help around the house.
Sleep can make a big difference in how you feel — and healthy sleep habits are especially important for people with lupus. Getting enough sleep can help you prevent lupus flares, manage fatigue, and keep your body's immune system healthy.
Remember that rest is also needed to restore energy. Lupus patients will want to work towards a healthy tiredness where subsequent rest or sleep recharges the batteries, and more recovery obtained in this way should help to minimise lupus tiredness.
Steroids and Vitamin D
Corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatories often used to treat lupus. They can thin your bones and raise your osteoporosis risk. Daily vitamin D and calcium supplements may help prevent this.
Some common symptoms of a flare include: A butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose. Rashes on other parts of the body. Pain or swelling in joints.
Sleep. Commit to at least seven hours of sleep a night and take a short nap in the middle of the day, when possible, to reduce flare-ups and pain sensitivity. Be careful not to spend too long in bed, though, as it can disrupt the circadian rhythm and make falling asleep in the evening difficult. Essential Oils.
Because fatigue affects 80–90% of people living with lupus, you probably face it, too. More sleep—and better-quality sleep—can go a long way in helping this common symptom. With many chronic illnesses and sleep issues, it can be hard to tell the cause from the effect.
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.
It can be hard to get active when you have lupus symptoms — but physical activity can actually ease your symptoms and help you feel better! Learn about the benefits of being active and find activities that work for you.
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.
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.
Our doctors often recommend that people with lupus sleep 8 to 10 hours each night, maintain a healthy diet that's low in fat and sugar, and get 90 minutes of light to moderate exercise per week.
Many people with lupus have pain and arthritis in their joints as well. This pain may contribute to fatigue. People with lupus who report more pain also tend to report greater feelings of fatigue. Medications.
The feelings associated with lupus can have multiple causes, including: Outward effects of the disease or its treatment. Visible problems such as a facial rash or weight gain from corticosteroids used to treat lupus can affect your physical appearance and self-esteem. Work and activity limitations.
Many people with lupus experience fatigue, or feeling tired throughout the day. For some people, fatigue can make it hard to do everyday activities like taking a shower, cooking dinner, or going to work. The good news is there are steps you can take to feel better.
Exercise is important.
It has been demonstrated that exercise reduces fatigue in lupus patients.
Try low-impact exercises like walking, biking, yoga, and swimming. If you're new to exercise, start slow and work your way up over time. Make sleep a priority. Fatigue is one of the most common lupus symptoms that may affect your day-to-day quality of life.
Muscle and joint pain.
This affects most people with lupus. Common areas for muscle pain and swelling include the neck, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms.
Many lupus patients aren't able to do intensive physical work, like waitressing or working in a grocery store. Jobs that involve standing for long periods, like working a cash register, greeting customers, or being a hostess at a restaurant, can be physically tiring as well as rough on the joints.
Previous reports have identified lupus flare and infection as the two most common reasons for hospitalization [1,6-8].