July 15, 2008
BABYBLUE’S
information on lupus
What is systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus?
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body’s natural defense system (immune system) attacks its own tissues instead of attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses. This causes inflammation. Inflammation causes swelling, pain, and tissue damage throughout the body. If you develop severe lupus, you may have problems with your kidneys, heart, lungs, nervous system, or blood cells. Lupus is the common name for systemic lupus erythematosus, also called SLE.
This topic focuses on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common and most serious type of lupus. But there are four other types of lupus: discoid or cutaneous lupus, drug-induced systemic lupus, neonatal lupus, and subacute cutaneous lupus.
What causes lupus?
The exact cause of lupus is not known. Experts believe that some people are born with certain genes that affect how the immune system works and that they are more likely to get lupus. Then a number of other factors can trigger lupus attacks. These include viral infections, including the virus that causes mononucleosis, and sunlight.
Although these things can trigger lupus, they may affect one person but not another person.
What are the symptoms?
Lupus symptoms vary widely, and they come and go. The times when symptoms get worse are called relapses, or flares. The times when symptoms are not so bad are called remissions.
Common symptoms include feeling very tired and having joint pain or swelling (arthritis), a fever, and a skin rash. The rash often happens after you have been in the sun. Mouth sores and hair loss may occur. Over time, some people with lupus have problems with the heart, lungs, kidneys, blood cells, or nervous system.
How is lupus diagnosed?
There is no single test for lupus. Because lupus affects different people in different ways, it can be hard to diagnose.
Your doctor will check for lupus by asking you questions, looking for common symptoms, and doing some blood tests. It is easier for your doctor to diagnose lupus if you have the most common symptoms and your blood has certain proteins. These proteins are called antinuclear antibodies, or ANAs. But other problems can cause your body to make ANAs, so doctors will use blood tests and other tests to find out if you have lupus.
How is it treated?
Lupus is treated by:
- Applying corticosteroid cream for rashes.
- Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for mild joint or muscle pain and fever.
- Taking antimalarial medicines to treat fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, and lung inflammation.
- Taking low-dose corticosteroids if other medicines are not controlling your symptoms.
Because corticosteroids are powerful medicines and can cause serious side effects, the doctor will recommend the lowest dose that will give the most benefit.
The doctor may also recommend other medicines that slow down the immune system.
How can you manage lupus?
One of the goals of controlling mild to moderate lupus symptoms is to prevent flares, the times when your symptoms are worse. Some of the other things you can do include:
- Rest to reduce stress.
- Avoid the sun. Wear sunscreen and protective clothing when you are outside.
- Exercise regularly to prevent fatigue and joint stiffness.
- Stop smoking.
- Learn the warning signs of a symptoms flare, such as fatigue, pain, and rash, and take steps to control them.
- also take all the toxic chemicals out of the home as far as cleaning and bath products and laundry items
With good self-care, most people with lupus can keep doing their regular daily activities.
It is important to learn about lupus so that you can understand how it might affect your life and how you can best cope with it. Also, help your family and friends understand your limitations and needs when your symptoms flare. Develop a support system of family, friends, and health professionals
go to www.livetotalwellness.com/brandy and click on more information and I will be sure to get you everything that you need
ASTHMA HELP !
have a testimonial about the products and Asthma. I have a 3 1/2 old daughter named Josee. She was on breathing treatments of Pulmicort and Albuterol, along with taking Singulair and Prednisone. She was on these meds for almost a 1 1/2 years and she was sick all the time. We spent alot of money on the drugs and doctors visits and a couple emergency visits. Then I heard about the WELLNESS COMPANY products and how converting my home could help and I knew I had to try it! I converted my home in February of 2005 and she has been off of all the medications since and has not even shown signs of needing them. It has been such a blessing – she is healthy as a horse now and is just like a normal kid, running and jumping and no problems having to stop because of being short of breath. It has also helped my husband’s asthma – he is down to being just on his albuterol inhaler now, and this summer was actually swathing alfalfa and the swather plugged up 3 three times and he was able to be in it and unplug it without having an attack!! Before he would have never been able to do this – he said before if he would have done this he would have been done for, this summer he only had slightly itchy eyes but no breathing problems!! YEAH THE WELLNESS COMPANY products!! We love them, how they work and what they have done for our family!!
ASTHMA PREVENTION
My daughter, Maura, was diagnosed with Asthma when she was 10 months old. She had three extended hospitals stays over the next two years. She also had numerous times when she would have to go on her nebulizer treatments at home. We were never without her inhaler nearby.
It wasn’t until January of 2006, she was 4 then, that we realized that she was having attacks that were triggered by my cleaning products. I was upstairs cleaning our bathroom and she came in. As soon as she got a breath of the Mr. Clean, she immediately closed up and had an attack. It took three days of treatments to get her leveled back out again.
I started researching safer products to use. It wasn’t until I answered a work from home add, that I found THE WELL COMPANY. And we are so thankful that we did. Now she comes in and helps me clean. She stands on the counter and cleans the mirror with our window cleaner. My son uses the toilet brush and scrubs the toilet with a little of our bathroom clearners. I am at the tub and using our tub cleaner. We have several products to use at one time and she breathes with ease. Nothing that we have ever used from THE WELLNESS COMPANY has caused her harm.
She is now on an albuterol inhaler periodically. She only needs it when the seasons change and the pollen is high. She has a SAFE HOME and is very healthy.
TYPE II DIABETIC
I would like to share with you my husband’s testimony
regarding THE WELLNESS COMPANY and diabetes. Ron is a Type II diabetic.
He has been a diabetic for 30 years. We joined THE WELLNESS COMPANY in
April 1997. We immediately started taking the daily supplement pack
. He saw an immediate need to decrease his
insulin. When they came out with another supplement, we switched and
again he lowered his insulin (he is VERY insulin resistant).
A year ago we upped his dosage from 1/40 pounds of body
weight to 1/30 pounds of body weight. AGAIN he had to
decrease his insulin. Overall, he has decreased his insulin
usage by 40-50%
Other benefits – he is no longer getting water blisters on
the shins of his legs. In the 4 1/2 years we have been
members, we both have had only an occasional slight cold. He
did have pneumonia once. It used to be that we could “count”
on his being sick with a bad cold for 6-8 weeks every
winter/spring. We are both very grateful for the THE WELLNESS COMPANY products.
Another point of interest – he had 13 laser treatments for
diabetic retinopathy 6-8 years ago. Other than a slow
growing catarac that is starting, the doctors are AMAZED at
the health of his eyes!
I use the hydrating body lotion on his feet – he grows
calluses and has to have them trimmed every four weeks. I
was using a prescription lotion with lanolin. After I
switched to this product, to see how it would do, the
Podiatrist & his technician have commented on how soft his
feet are. It looks like we’ll be able to extend the time to
five weeks between “trims” now.