Dubbed the “imitator disease”, there are a handful of symptoms to be on the lookout for when it comes to lupus.
Your body attacking its own tissues and organs.
Fatigue, joint pain, rashes.
More than 200,000 cases in the United States each year.
No cure in sight.
This is what lupus looks like.
And May 10th—we bring awareness to this inflammatory disease.
Read on to learn what World Lupus Day represents, what lupus is, and how it relates to collagen.
What Is Lupus?
What Is Lupus?
Before we dive into the history of World Lupus Day, we need to address what lupus is.
Imagine your body attacking itself from the inside out…
Your immune system mistakenly goes after healthy cells, confusing them for foreign objects, leading to a rise in inflammation throughout the body.
This inflammation causes your body to react in such a way that your skin, joints, and internal organs (like your heart and kidneys) are affected.
People describe lupus as an internal war with your own body, like entering a boxing match with your hands tied behind your back. You simply can’t fight.
Ashton, who was diagnosed with lupus at the age of 23, compared her experience to a “Lupus Lottery”. You wake up every single day and never know what it’s going to give you—chronic fatigue, pain, kidney failure? It’s an endless gamble where you never come out on top.
The worst part is that we don’t know what brings on lupus in the first place. There are 3 potential factors that may play a role in lupus:
- Genetics: Autoimmune diseases run in families
- Sex hormones: A rise in hormones like estrogen
- Environmental triggers: Air pollution, UV light, infections, vaccinations, solvent, pesticides, and heavy metals
Symptoms of Lupus
1.5 million Americans have some form of lupus, along with 5 million others worldwide. Often called the “great imitator” because it imitates symptoms of several other illnesses, everyone will experience lupus differently.
Common symptoms range from mild or severe to sporadic or continual. Whether mild or severe, symptoms generally include:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Butterfly rash
- Hair loss
- Joint pain (65% of people list chronic pain as the most difficult aspect of lupus)
The age range where it’s most likely to invade is between 15 and 44. And 9 out of 10 of those people are women.
Ethnicity plays a role in lupus too.
The following ethnicities are 2 to 3 times more likely to get lupus than those of caucasian decent:
- African Americans
- Latinos
- Asians
- Native Americans
- Alaska Natives
- Native Hawaiians
- Pacific Islanders
History of World Lupus Day
There’s a reason why we need to bring awareness to lupus…
A whopping 63% of Americans have never heard of it!
This explains why, on average, it takes someone suffering from lupus six years to be officially diagnosed. Imagine going six whole years without answers. With doctors thinking you’re just a hypochondriac. And all that time, your body is killing itself from the inside out.
Whatsmore, 55% of those diagnosed had to see four or more healthcare professionals before being accurately diagnosed (so healthcare professionals aren’t properly educated on this disease either!).
This is exactly why we need a day dedicated to bringing lupus and its symptoms to light.
Six years is far too long for someone to be in the dark.
World Lupus Day was born in 2004 out of Lupus Canada—an organization dedicated to improving the lives of those with lupus through awareness, advocacy, education, support, and research.
What Does Collagen Have to Do with Lupus?
Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderms...these are all diseases classified as collagen vascular disease.
It’s a type of autoimmune disease with symptoms that are strikingly similar to that of low collagen levels—muscle weakness, joint pain, troubled skin, and more.
With that being said, a reputable, grass-fed collagen supplement may help decrease the joint pain and inflammation that’s often associated with lupus.
The Bottom Line
If you think lupus will hold you back from your dreams, think again.
There’s something besides music that Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, and Toni Braxton have in common…
Lupus.
These ladies, along with thousands of others, have taken on the responsibility to bring awareness to its symptoms and advocate for more science-backed research.
Nick Cannon—Entertainer and Television Personality—has lupus too, and the way he views this incurable disease is awe-inspiring.
In an interview with the Lupus Foundation of America, he proclaimed, “I have lupus, but lupus doesn’t have me.”
Although this optimistic perspective may not be what you want to hear during the thick of it, it’s true.
Lupus isn’t who you are. It’s something that you have. Something that doesn’t have the power to steal the extraordinary life standing in front of you.
If you are suffering from the symptoms mentioned in this article, consult a healthcare professional as soon as possible.
This could be the answer you’ve been searching for these past 6 years.
As always, be sure to consult a health care professional before adding anything new to your diet, supplement, or exercise regimen. NativePath and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any diseases. All NativePath material is presented for educational purposes only.
