Do I have Lupus?

Recently I overheard someone telling a friend that he self-diagnosed himself as having Valley Fever. This was based on symptoms such as fatigue and joint swelling. He tried to find doctors to help him with the diagnosis, but when they did not, another friend had shared that it was likely Valley Fever and that if he went on a better diet and juiced, the symtpoms would likely clear due to his pH shifting. He took her advice, and did notice an improvement within a few days.

Anytime you change your diet to have less processed foods/sugars in it, you will notice an improvemnet. We are just not meant to eat such poor foods. That being said, physicians generally miss the mark when it comes to accurate diagnosis on conditions that appear difficult to decipher--such as fatigue and joint swelling. That could be any number of conditions.

Most likely, given how quickly this man saw improvement with diet changes, he had Lupus and not Valley Fever. Both conditions can have these symptoms and both can and do improve with diet changes. Valley Fever, however, tends to affect the lungs. Lupus can cause an array of symptoms and is very common in our society--more common than what people realize. Lupus can cause joint swelling, joint pain, skin disorders, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, insomnia, food sensitivities, headaches, menstrual irregularities, or inability to focus/memory problems.

One of the issues with identifiying Lupus is that most doctors do not order the right labs. I have noticed that Sonora Quest Labs are not as accurate as Lab Corp labs. Testing must be performed to see if there are any antibodies to ANA (the nucleus) and the DNA because Lupus is an autoimmune condition against the cell nucleus and DNA.

Within the Lab Corp labs, the panel that is accurate is called "ANA do all" or "ANA plus". A general spot check for ANA oftentimes misses the diagnosis, but the panel tends to find it. Additonally, the doctor must order Anti-DNA labs. ANA positive plus AntiDNA positive gives you an idea about whether or not you have Lupus, as you must have both positive/elevated for the proper diagosis.

Lupus is highly treatable and workable. Your life does not have to end if you have this condition. Just as the man described in this blog noticed a change with diet changes, you will go a long way towards helping yourself if you eat a clean, whole food diet and avoid processed foods and restaurant, prepared foods as much as possible. I know this may sound difficult, but you can do it. If you need help beyond what diet cand do for you, please let me know. I have Lupus, so I do understand how difficult it can be to deal with.