WHAT IS LUPUS?
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any parts of the body (skin, joints, or organs). “Chronic” means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks or a lifetime. An inflammatory disease caused when the immune system attacks its own tissues. You have two types Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) which is the most common form of the disease. Systemic lupus affects many different organ systems in the body. Next you have, Systemic lupus erythematosus. Systemic lupus is the most common form of lupus it’s what most people mean when they refer to “lupus.” Cutaneous lupus erythematosus. This form of lupus is limited to the skin and can cause many types of rashes and lesions. Drug-induced lupus erythematosus, Neonatal lupus and Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) there could be more than that, this is why research is needed.
Lupus is a lifelong disorder of the immune system. Immune cells attack the body’s own healthy tissues, leading to inflammation and tissue damage. People of African, Asian, and Native American descent are more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians. Although it can occur in both men and women, 90% of people diagnosed with the disease are women. Women of childbearing age (14 to 45 years old) are most often affected and as many as one in 250 people may develop lupus. In lupus, something goes wrong with the immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs (“foreign invaders,” like the flu). Normally our immune systems produce proteins called “antibodies” which protect the body from these invaders.
As a result, it creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body. Lupus is not contagious, not even through sexual contact. You cannot “catch” lupus from someone or “give” lupus to someone. Lupus is not like or related to cancer. Cancer is a condition of malignant, abnormal tissues that grow rapidly and spread into surrounding tissues. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, as described above. However, some treatments for lupus may include immunosuppressant drugs that are also used in chemotherapy. Lupus is not like or related to HIV (Human Immune Deficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). In HIV or AIDS, the immune system is underactive; in lupus, the immune system is overactive. Lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be treated by a doctor. With good medical care, most people with lupus can lead a full life.
WHAT DOES THE CHARITY DO?
The Love Life Lupus foundation Inc. is a 501(C) 3 non-profit organization, that redirects current education and research efforts that focus on medicinal treatment to a more holistic pathological approach for those affected by autoimmune diseases (Lupus).
INVESTIGATION
Lupus is an unpleasant covert. The researchers will conduct and investigate the unidentified impacts of lupus and how to end its cruel effects. Love Life Lupus reported “Years of disappointing results in lupus drug development suggesting that a different approach is needed.” Love Life Lupus is taken a new approach, investigating what isn’t working and providing a Pathological approach to uncover and solve the causes of lupus.
TRAINING
- Empowering the general public through media outlets, and educational marketing campaign, that communicate the findings of leading lupus experts.
- Providing a training center that will provide training and resources to the general public, corporations, hospitals, and schools.
- Providing feedback to Rheumatologist, Urologists, Neurologists, primary care Physicians, Gynecologists, Hepatology, Otolaryngologists, Nature Path, and most important a Cardiologists.
- Work hand in hand with researcher and their results.
NATUR PATHOLOGY/ NATUROPATHY
Pathology is the precise study of the causes and consequences of a disease. The two major components of pathology are anatomical studies of structure and function at levels ranging from the whole organism to the subcellular level, and laboratory techniques and procedures to analyze bodily fluids.
VALUE
The Love Life Lupus Foundation has 21th Century Leaders that are God driven with a plan to support Nature Pathology research, expand the current research and educate and treat the general public.
WHO WE SERVE?
Each person with lupus. Dr. LaTonya Bias, our founder, has lupus, and believes that focusing on awareness, educating the unknown, and working towards a cure is the best strategy for serving lupus patients. Helping the next generation with one step forward in helping patients. There are five million people with lupus worldwide. It mostly affects women (90%), it targets people of color, and usually strikes between the ages of 14 and 45.
VISION
Leaving an imprint that will allow people to live better and longer; ensuring that research moves on a natural pathological direction, building a team of leaders dedicate to the cause and the community at large.
MISSION
To inspire, innovate, and educate from the results of lupus research.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Common general symptoms include prolonged or extreme fatigue, unexplained fever (more than 100 F), hair loss, achy joints (arthralgia), Swollen joints (arthritis), pain in the chest when breathing deeply (pleurisy), Sun- or light-sensitivity (photosensitivity) and a butterfly shaped rash across the cheeks and nose or on other parts of the body. Lupus can also affect individual organs and body parts, such as the skin, kidneys, and joints. The cardiovascular and nervous systems can also be affected.
Lupus affects everyone differently, but certain signs and symptoms are common. A sign is medical evidence your doctor finds during a physical exam, such as a specific rash; a symptom is a subjective indication of disease, such as joint stiffness or a headache. In addition, other conditions, such as fibromyalgia, occur commonly in people with lupus but are not directly due to disease activity. These co-occurring conditions are known to doctors as “comorbidities.” Several signs, symptoms, and comorbidities of lupus are detailed below.
Many people with lupus suffer from gastrointestinal problems, especially heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Peptic ulcers can also occur, often due to certain medications used in lupus treatment, including NSAIDs and steroids. Occasional heartburn or acid indigestion can be treated with an over-the-counter antacid, such as Rolaids, Maalox, Mylanta, or Tums. Your doctor may also include an antacid or another form of GI medication (a proton-pump inhibitor, histamine 2 blocker, or promotility agent) in your treatment regimen. Antacids are effective when used to treat occasional symptoms, but you should try to avoid heartburn and acid indigestion altogether by eating smaller meals, remaining upright after eating, and cutting down on caffeine. If heartburn and acid reflux persist (e.g., for more than two weeks), you should speak with your doctor, because your heartburn symptoms could indicate a larger problem.
The thyroid is the gland in your neck associated with your metabolism the processes by which your body makes use of energy. Autoimmune thyroid disease is common in lupus. It is believed that about 6% of people with lupus have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and about 1% have hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). A thyroid gland that is functioning improperly can affect the function of organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys, liver, and skin. Hypothyroidism can cause weight gain, fatigue, depression, moodiness, and dry hair and skin. Hyperthyroidism can cause weight loss, heart palpitations, tremors, heat intolerance, and eventually lead to osteoporosis. Treatment for both underactive and overactive thyroid involves getting your body’s metabolism back to the normal rate. Hypothyroidism is usually treated with thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Hyperthyroidism is treated with anti-thyroid medications or radioactive iodine.
Osteoporosis (bone thinning) occurs when the bones lose calcium and other minerals that help keep them strong and compact. This condition can lead to fractures, bone pain, and shorter stature. Everyone is at risk for osteoporosis as they age, but women experience a greater risk of the condition after menopause. Studies have shown that people with lupus are at an increased risk for osteoporosis due to both the inflammation they experience with the disease and the use of prednisone.
Your bones are constantly being remodeled in a process that removes old bone cells and deposits new ones. In people with osteoporosis, the bones lose minerals faster than they can be regenerated. Medications called bisphosphonates (e.g., Actonel, Fosamax, Boniva, and Reclast) can be taken to help prevent your bones from losing calcium and other minerals by slowing or stopping the natural processes that dissolve bone tissue. In doing this, bisphosphonates help your bones remain strong and intact. If you have already developed osteoporosis, these medications may slow the thinning of your bones and help prevent bone fractures. In fact, studies have shown that bisphosphonates can lower your risk of fractured vertebrae bone segments that make up your spine by 50%. Similar studies demonstrate that these medications can lower the chance of breaking other bones by 30-49%. However, when bisphosphonates are not successful, patients may need a daily injection of parathyroid hormone (Forteo) to build bone.