The chronic pain of lupus can affect anyone from 15 to 50 and it does affect nearly 2 million Americans. As an autoimmune system, the lupus sufferer's body is under attack. The skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, the eyes, the nervous system and blood-making cells can all suddenly become targets. While currently there is no cure for lupus, the disease can be treated in different ways to minimize damage. For cases that are mild, your primary care doctor can monitor or recommend medication. If the lupus has progressed and affected other organs, a specialist like a Dermatologist, Cardiologist, Nephrologist or Neurologist may be needed.

There are five types of lupus: systemic lupus erythematosus, which affects the joints and organs; discoid lupus, which affects the skin; sub-acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, which is characterized by skin lesions; drug-induced lupus that develops after a drug reaction; and neonatal lupus that affects newborns. Lupus signs include: fatigue, fever, weight loss/gain, joint pain/stiffness/swelling, butterfly rashes on the cheeks, skin lesions that worsen with sunlight, mouth sores, fingers and toes that turn white or blue in the cold, shortness of breath, chest pain, dry eyes, easy bruising, anxiety, depression and/or memory loss. The Lupus Foundation says there are no two cases of lupus that are exactly alike. Signs may emerge gradually or come on suddenly, and can be mild or severe. The majority of individuals have episodes of "flare-ups". If you want to get tested for lupus, your physician will pose various questions, go through a standard physical, have blood and urine samples done and get an electrocardiogram.

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) manifests itself by way of inflammation, whereby scarring on the face, ears as well as scalp, and rashes are pronounced. The lesions may be inflamed, scaling or crusty in appearance, with the centers lighter and the rims darker. A small percentage of these patients have internal organ failure too, but usually symptoms are primarily skin-related. Cortisone ointment or injections can be helpful in treating the flare-ups. Drugs like Plaquenil, Aralen, Imiquimod, Quinacrine, Accutane or Soriatane are sometimes prescribed but should be carefully monitored for side effects.

If you're diagnosed with lupus, then it's important that you get 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Keep in mind that even very small amounts of light from the sunlight can harm you skin, so you should wear clothing that is protective, for instance lond pants and shirts, use SPF 15 or higher sunscreen, stay away from tanning beds as well as utilizing plastic devices that block UV type of emissions from indoor lights. Getting regular exercise is also important in recovering from flare-ups, reducing heart attack risks and fighting depression. If you’re a smoker, then doctors recommend that you quit because the risk of cardiovascular disease increases with the added vascular stress caused by nicotine. Lastly, eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. To keep your mood elevated, the Lupus Foundation offers educational programs, counseling, group exercising classes and community events like "Walk For Lupus" to help raise money and awareness. Becoming an advocate is a great way to regain a sense of control.

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Tags: Lupus, lupus symptoms

If you have been suffering from severe acne, you have probably already tried many solutions or treatments to get rid of you acne. Finding the right acne solution is becoming very difficult with all the junk available on the market.

The Best Acne Skin Care Products – What are the Ingredients?

Acne is usually the result of a certain cycle happening in your body. The Sebaceous Gland is responsible for keeping your skin moisturized by releasing oil onto the skin. For the people that are suffering from acne, this oil often gets blocked under the skin’s pores. The result is what we call a pimple. For many of us this is where the cycle or process stops, but for a lot of people this is just the beginning of another acne outbreak. When the oil secreted by the skin is trapped underneath it often attracts bacteria that are called Propionibacterium resulting in an acne outbreak. The next step is that the bacteria feeds on the oil blocking your pores causing it to grow. The reaction of your body is to try and defend itself by releasing great quantities of blood cells to attack the bacteria often resulting in a red and swollen skin.

With all the new treatments on the market, finding the acne solution is more difficult than ever. First you must be aware of the essential ingredients that are effective to fight acne. This is not 100% for all products, but as a general rule, products that contains benzoyl peroxide are often some of the bests available on the market. Benzoyl peroxide is still to this day one of the most effective ingredients to help unclog the skin pores while preventing the formation of pimples.

Salicylic acid and alpha hydroxy are also considered two very effective ingredients that are often found in effective acne treatments. These products are different than benzoyl peroxide, they are mostly used as a preventive measure. This is very useful for people with dry skin because these products simply remove a thin layer of skin preventing you skin pores to be clogged.

One form of treatment that must not be forgotten is the natural acne treatmetns. This type of treatment is becoming popular simply because it is natural and very effective. Natural treatments for acne are often considered amongst the most effective acne skin care products available. In many cases the solutions are in oil form and therefore must be mixed with water in order to do a proper application. You can find most of these natural products in natural food store, products like:

– Oils

– Tea Tree

– Bergamot

– Clove

– Lavender

– Rosewood

The oil that is often considered the best acne skin care product is the tree oil. This is very effective because it as the particularity of being able to fight the bacteria that is responsible for acne.

Finding the right acne skin care product can be hard with all the products on the market, but it is also necessary because it is the best way to prevent further acne breakout and improve your skin once and for all. See our recommended acne remedies or just click the following link to learn more about how to get rid of acne fast.

Tags: acne treatments, get rid of acne, how to get rid of acne fast