There is often a vicious circle with lupus: the joint pain and fatigue prevent sufferers from exercising – which in turn leads to weight gain, loss of strength and fitness. It is therefore important that lupus sufferers take sufficient and regular exercise (in everyday life, sports, physiotherapy). This is the only way to avoid or delay secondary symptoms of the lupus disease.
Psychological stress caused by lupus
Psychological factors should not be underestimated: for example, anxiety and stress can have a direct and indirect influence on the course of the disease; conversely, it is a great challenge and often very difficult for those affected to accept the diagnosis of lupus with all its limitations.
Therefore, psychological measures such as behavioral therapy, biofeedback and autogenic training can have a noticeably positive influence on the quality of life of lupus sufferers. Self-help groups can likewise help to cope with the lupus disease.
Lupus: diet and SLE
Few conclusive studies exist on the influence of diet on the course of the disease. However, there have been repeated cases in which dietary changes have improved lupus symptoms.
In particular, a whole-food diet with no dairy and egg products and with few and low-fat animal products is described as positive in the case of a lupus disease. In contrast, strict diets or crash cures are not recommended.
Lupus: the pill and pregnancy
Taking the pill is rather discouraged, as hormones can promote a lupus flare-up.
If pregnancy is planned, the affected person should discuss this with her attending physician. Although pregnancy with lupus is possible in many cases today, it involves an increased risk for both mother and child. It must therefore be carefully planned and monitored. In addition, medications must be adjusted.
Avoid too much sunlight
Since UV light in many cases promotes lupus relapses, sunbathing should rather be avoided in the case of a lupus disease. In any case, it is important to use sunscreen with a high sun protection factor.
Medications that can trigger SLE should be discontinued or replaced with others in consultation with the physician.
Prognosis in lupus
Lupus erythematosus is not curable. This means that the affected person must come to terms with his or her disease. This is all the more difficult because the course of lupus is unpredictable. One possible consolation is that today, with early and consistent lupus therapy, the prognosis is many times better than in the past.
Most often, affected individuals die from severe infections (as a result of immune-suppressive therapy). The more pronounced and varied the lupus symptoms are at the onset of the disease and the more organs (especially kidney and central nervous system) are affected, the more critical the prognosis.
