What is Lupus and Other Frequently Asked Questions

Submitted by PatientsEngage on 16 August 2021
Picture of Dr. Nolkha and overly with the topic Understanding Basics of Lupus/ SLE and his credentials

In this webinar we spoke with Dr. Nilesh Nolkha, Consultant Rheumatologist and Clinical Immunologist addressed some of the most common questions on Lupus as part of the “Know Lupus” series. 

Dr. Nilesh Nolkha answers the following questions (marked with timestamps on the youtube recording)

03:52 What is Lupus?

05:30 What are the signs and symptoms of Lupus

10:00 How is Lupus diagnosed? Are there any tests for this?

12:00 What are the treatment options for Lupus?

16:05 Can a Lupus patient stop their medications when they are feeling better?

21:40 Are recurrent fevers and mouth ulcers common in Lupus

24:40 Can hair loss reduce over time and can hair be recovered

31:20 Is it safe for Lupus patients to take Covid vaccine

38:10 Do diet and lifestyle changes help lupus patients?

46:20 What is the role of complementary and alternative treatments like homeopathy and ayurveda?

Read more Lupus here. 

 

Changed
16/Aug/2021
Community
Auto Immune conditions
Condition
Lupus

Stories

  • Stock pic of a person with a fever patch on forehead and the text overlay When to take fever seriously
    When To See a Doctor for Fever
    Fever is a common symptom. It is usually a symptom that the body is fighting an infection. However there are times, it should be taken seriously. Here the PatientsEngage team helps you understand the types and causes of fever and when to see a doctor. All of us have experienced a fever sometime in our lives. Fever is actually a good symptom as it indicates that our body is fighting an infection in our body. Our average normal body temperature is 98.6° Fahrenheit or 37° Celsius. The baseline…
  • Alphonse Roy, Lupus and Sjogrens patient with text on blue strip : Living with invisible illnesses
    मुझे कम उम्र से ही लुपस और शोग्रेन्स, दोनों हैं।
    ए. अल्फोंस प्रभु रॉय, 60, को कम उम्र में ही दो क्रानिक ऑटोइम्यून बीमारियों, ल्यूपस और सजोग्रेन सिंड्रोम का निदान मिला, और उन्हें कई जटिल लक्षण हैं। इनमें सबसे चुनौतीपूर्ण हैं मुंह सूखा रहना और ब्रेन फॉग। वे इस लेख में अपने अनुभव साझा करते हैं और बताते हैं कि दोनों बीमारियों के प्रबंधन में बहुत सावधानी की जरूरत है वरना इन का काम और घर पर गंभीर प्रभाव पड़ता है। आप कई वर्षों तक एक सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र की तेल कंपनी के महाप्रबंधक रहे हैं। कृपया हमें बताएं कि आप कहाँ रहते हैं और आपका वर्तमान जीवन कैसा है…
  • A young woman in white top sitting sideways framed with a purple border with the lupus butterfly symbol and the the text Living with Lupus and patientsengage logo
    लुपस को जीवन का एक अंश मानें
    26 वर्षीय श्रेया शुक्ला, कानपुर (उत्तर प्रदेश) में अपनी खुद की डिजिटल मार्केटिंग एजेंसी चलाती हैं। उन्हें जुवेनाइल लुपस (बचपन में होने वाला लुपस) है। इस लेख में वे साझा करती हैं कि कम उम्र में लुपस होने का उनका अनुभव साझा क्या था – इस में उनके विलंबित और गलत निदान से लेकर अपनी स्थिति का प्रबंधन और स्वतंत्रता प्राप्त करने की यात्रा और अनेक जटिलताओं का वर्णन शामिल है। लक्षण और निदान नवंबर 2008 में, जब मैं 12 साल की थी, मुझे शरीर में दर्द, जोड़ों में दर्द और हल्का बुखार हुआ, और जब मैंने अपने…
  • A stock pic of a side profile of a woman against a sunset and the text Living with Lupus
    "Lupies Need Much Strength And Mental Support"
    Amita*, a 20 year old working woman from Mumbai, with a diagnosis of Juvenile Lupus shares her experience of dealing with this condition, the emotional and financial toll it took on her and how she has come to realise the importance of medication adherence.  Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment It was around 2018 when I was pursuing my SSC and one day when I came home my mom saw a bald patch in my hair. Like a bunch of hair somebody had cut it off. So we panicked and after visiting a…
  • Young woman with Lupus in a hat in profile against a lake and mountains
    Manage Lupus In Partnership With A Rheumatologist
    Debalina, a 25 year old student based in Kolkata, with a delayed diagnosis of Juvenile Lupus, no referral to a Rheumatologist and potentially inadequate treatment plan for 10 long years. She shares her experience of the complexities of this condition and the need for Lupus awareness for timely and appropriate treatment. Diagnosis & Treatment I had no specific symptoms till I was 13. Till about 2008, I experienced headache from time to time when exposed to sunlight. Doctors thought I had a…
  • Silhouette of a young woman dancing and the sun shining through her scarf dupatta and the text living with lupus
    Lupies: Looks Are Not Everything
    Aqsa, a 17 year old from Mumbai, shares her journey of navigating Juvenile Lupus as a young teenager, including understanding the disease and seeking the right treatment. Key learnings are accepting the side effects of medications and the importance of family and social support. Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment I was first diagnosed when I was 12-13 years old and in 7th grade. I had swelling on my feet, but was too young to understand the disease. I went to Judo classes and had joint pain,…
  • A young woman with Lupus wearing specs and a grey full sleeves shirt standing in front of a water body
    Lupus Has Made Me A Stronger Person
    Thanusree, 27 years old from Chennai has lived with a Juvenile Lupus diagnosis since 2010. She shares her experience of the challenges of getting a diagnosis and managing the emotional ups and downs of SLE. Symptoms and Diagnosis In 2010, during my 10th grade when I was 14, I had a blood clot and was advised a blood test which we took lightly and did after 2 weeks. However the day after the blood test, the lab called me and told my parents that I need to be admitted immediately in the ICU as…
  • Stock pic of mother and child on a beach against a sunset with overlay text Living with Lupus
    "My Daughter Was Diagnosed With Lupus At 5 Years"
    Priya, an HR professional, based in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala and mother to Divya (names changed to maintain anonymity), 9 year old with a diagnosis of Juvenile Lupus shares their experience of the complexities of this condition in a young child and how she tries to let her daughter maintain a "normal" routine.  Symptoms and Diagnosis: My daughter Divya was born in 2014. She was first diagnosed with Lupus SLE on June 15 2019 (her grandmother’s birthday) when she was 5 years old. Divya was…
  • A young woman in white top sitting sideways framed with a purple border with the lupus butterfly symbol and the the text Living with Lupus and patientsengage logo
    Treat Lupus As A Phase Of Life
    Shreya Shukla, 26 years, runs her own Digital Marketing Agency, based in Kanpur, UP and lives with a diagnosis of Juvenile Lupus. She shares her experience of the complexities of Lupus at such a young age, from delayed and wrong diagnosis to managing the condition and her journey to independence. Symptoms and Diagnosis In November 2008, when I was 12, I had body ache, joint pain and mild fever and when I consulted my doctor, I was treated first for Chikungunya. Prior to this in 2007, I had had…
  • Picture of Hrishita, a young woman in a pink and blue kurta framed in a purple frame with the text Living with Lupus
    Living With Lupus Is Complicated
    Hrishita Gupta, 23 years old is a teacher in Siliguri and has lived with a Juvenile Lupus diagnosis since 2014. She shares her experience of managing this complicated condition and how she copes with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Diagnosis I had fever for very long time and in 2014, at the age of 14, I was advised a Tuberculosis test which was mild positive and I was treated for TB for 3 months. In 2013 I had developed joint pain which may have been due to Arthritis, but that was never…