What is Lupus?
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs. This can cause widespread inflammation and affect various systems, including the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood cells, and brain. The most common form of lupus is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Symptoms of lupus can vary greatly but often include fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes (like the characteristic butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose), fever, and swollen lymph nodes. Lupus is known for its flare-ups (periods of worsening symptoms) followed by remissions (periods of reduced or no symptoms).
The exact cause of lupus is unknown, but it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It is more common in women, especially those of childbearing age, and is more prevalent in certain ethnic groups, such as African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans.
While there is no cure for lupus, treatment focuses on managing symptoms and reducing inflammation through medications like corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and antimalarial drugs. Regular medical care and lifestyle adjustments can significantly improve the quality of life for individuals with lupus. |
Practical Poetry #201 Tip: Eat Organic Food
My wife had lupus and birthed
three children –mostly grown –
before we met
I had never heard of lupus
until after our nuptials
and our life together began…
She had her bad days of rashes
and fatigues, joint pain
and general uncomfortableness.
but as the years ticked by
the flare-ups dwindled
to the vanishing point.
I like to think that this was due –
the long-term remission –
to my love and the fact she
finally had someone to count on,
I would give my life, for her,
but I suspect it was the switch
to organic food that I brought
to our relationship.
Food uncontaminated with pesticides
and the other poisons,
Big Agriculture and Corporate
Food Processors insist on
to increase their swelling profits
at the cost of healthy lives.
©2024 Carl Scott Harker, author of Words of Change
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