How does a person with lupus feel? Selena gomez opens up about her struggles

Teen idol Selena Gomez was diagnosed with Lupus and has shared her mental health battles amid tough situations.

This chronic illness is provoked by an active immune system attacking healthy body parts.

Lupus shows many signs. It can cause unusual blood clotting, arthritis, skin issues, and even organ failures.

This disease led Selena Gomez to have a kidney replacement. In reply to haters on the internet, Selena Gomez claimed that she wasn't going to become a model and blamed her weight gain on her medication.

What is lupus?

Imagine a superhero who protects you from danger, like germs and viruses. We call that defense system our immune system. But sometimes our superhero gets confused.

That's what happens with autoimmune diseases. Think of it as if our immune system starts fighting itself, causing harm inside our body.

This condition is one such disease. It creates too many soldiers, known as antibodies, that stick to our body parts. The result? It hurts, and it swells up.

Selena Gomez, the famous singer and actress, shared her story of living with this condition since 2014. Not only did she have to get a new kidney, but she also had to go through chemotherapy, a very strong treatment. She says it changed her life and effected up her mental health too:

"My lupus, my kidney transplant, chemotherapy, having a mental illness, going through very public heartbreaks—these were all things that honestly should have taken me down."

She's recently received negative comments regarding her appearance. During a TikTok live, Gomez told followers that when she takes medication, she carries a lot of water weight, which has resulted in visible weight gain.

Following sufficient recuperation, kidney transplant recipients should be able to resume their normal lifestyles, which involve working, exercising, and enjoying life.

Selena, like most transplant recipients, will be on immunosuppressive medication. The most prevalent negative effect of these immunosuppressive drugs is an increased risk of infection.

Many patients are currently taking these drugs to control their hyperactive immune systems, regardless of a transplant. People with this condition should be aware of how to avoid infections and protect themselves from common viruses and colds.

Causes of lupus

1) Sun

One of the most powerful environmental stimuli is the sun. The sun's UV radiation can harm skin cells, causing DNA, RNA, and other components to protrude and, most likely, trigger autoimmunity. If you suffer from this condition, your body may respond to it.

One of the things doctors advise people to do is apply sunscreen every day, rain or shine. Even fluorescent lighting can emit ultraviolet radiation.

2) Stress

Stress may be related to a worsening of their pre-existing condition. Researchers are still investigating whether elevated stress levels can worsen this condition's symptoms. This relationship may affect how clinicians approach personalized lupus treatment programs.

3) Medications

Certain medicines can trigger your immune system to overreact, resulting in drug-induced lupus. It typically doesn't last long. Nearly 50 medicines have been associated with this condition, including those used to treat heart problems, thyroid disorders, infections, and elevated blood pressure.

This condition is usually diagnosed through blood tests conducted by a clinician.

While there is no treatment for SLE, there are several medications available to help manage its symptoms, such as anti-inflammatories or immune suppressants.

Using them, numerous individuals can effectively limit the effects it has on their daily lives.