If you’ve just been diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune condition lupus, you might be wondering, Why is my body turning against me?
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Maybe you’ve waited months or even years to finally get a diagnosis – and now that you have one, you’re left with feelings of uncertainty about how your condition will affect you down the road.
There’s not exactly a straightforward answer to either of those questions, as everyone’s “lupus fingerprint” is different, says rheumatologist Emily Littlejohn, DO. There might be days when you’re wiped out, and other days when you’re free of joint pain and feel like you could climb a mountain.
But the good news is, there’s reason for hope. Many people with lupus are able to minimize their flare-ups with treatment, and 80 to 90% of people with this condition live to a normal life expectancy.
And while it can be difficult to control when or how severe your flare-ups will hit, you can control other aspects of your life that affect how you feel – like eating a healthy diet, taking care to get enough sleep and reducing stress in your life.
Dr. Littlejohn offers these additional tips for managing the daily challenges of living with lupus.
Life with lupus can be unpredictable, but you’ve made it over the first hurdle and can now take steps to educate yourself and your loved ones, build up your care team and keep moving forward.
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