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Lupus

Featuring Dr. John Watterson, MD, FRCPC Vancouver, BC

Diagnosing Lupus Erythematosus educational video.

Common symptoms

Symptoms vary widely from person to person and often come and go in “flares.” They may include:

  • Extreme fatigue
  • Joint pain, stiffness, and swelling
  • A butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose
  • Sensitivity to sunlight
  • Fever
  • Hair loss
  • Mouth sores
  • Chest pain when taking a deep breath
  • Fingers or toes that turn white or blue in the cold (Raynaud’s phenomenon)

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease, which means the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues instead of protecting them from infections. This can cause inflammation and damage in many parts of the body, including the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, and blood cells.

Lupus Nutrition: MINDS MUSCLE MEALS

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Featuring Dr. Stefanie Wade, Rheumatologist, Vancouver, BC

Rheumatologist, and a Registered Dietician, and a Kinesiologist, talk about Arthritis - the health benefits of tomatoes

Tomatoes and lupus inflammation

Although tomato compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in laboratory research, there isn’t good evidence that eating tomatoes specifically reduces lupus disease activity or prevents flares.

There’s also no general recommendation for people with lupus to avoid tomatoes or other nightshade vegetables. If you personally notice that a particular food consistently causes symptoms, discuss it with your healthcare professional rather than eliminating multiple foods unnecessarily.

A lupus-friendly eating pattern

Along with tomatoes, emphasize vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil. If you’re taking corticosteroids such as prednisone, paying particular attention to calcium, vitamin D, sodium, added sugars, and adequate protein can also be useful.

Tomatoes can generally be included in a healthy diet for someone with lupus (SLE). They don’t treat or cure lupus, but they provide several useful nutrients.

  • Lycopene: Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect cells from oxidative stress. Cooking tomatoes can make lycopene easier for the body to absorb.

  • Vitamin C: Supports normal immune function and collagen production.

  • Potassium: Helps support normal nerve, muscle, and cardiovascular function.

  • Fiber: Whole tomatoes provide fiber that supports digestive and cardiovascular health.

  • Heart health: Tomatoes fit well into a Mediterranean-style diet, which emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, fish, nuts, and healthy fats. Cardiovascular health is particularly important in lupus because SLE can increase cardiovascular risk.

Dr. Maziar Badii, Rheumatologist, Vancouver, BC

Health benefits of Eggplant in relation to arthritis.

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Rheumatologist, and a Registered Dietician, and a Kinesiologist, talk about the health benefits of Lettuce in relation to arthritis management.

Featuring Dr. Stefanie Wade, Rheumatologist, Vancouver, BC

Rheumatologist, and a Registered Dietician, and a Kinesiologist, talk about the health benefits of Beets in relation to arthritis management.

Featuring Dr. John Watterson, MD, FRCPC Vancouver, BC

Symptoms of Lupus Disease educational video.

Lupus and exercise & The mind

Regular physical activity is generally beneficial for people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It can help maintain muscle strength, joint mobility, cardiovascular fitness, bone health, mood, and energy. Exercise should be adjusted according to disease activity and individual symptoms.

Good exercise options

  • Walking: A simple way to build cardiovascular fitness; start with short walks and gradually increase.

  • Swimming or water exercise: Useful when joints are painful because water reduces impact.

  • Cycling: Provides cardiovascular exercise with relatively low joint impact.

  • Strength training: Light-to-moderate resistance training can help prevent muscle loss and support bone health, particularly if you take prednisone.

  • Stretching and range-of-motion exercises: Help maintain flexibility.

  • Balance exercises: Particularly useful for older adults or people with weakness or balance problems.

Living with lupus can affect mental health in several ways. The condition itself, its symptoms, medications, and the challenges of managing a chronic illness can all contribute to emotional and cognitive changes.

Some of the most common mental health effects include:

  • Depression: People with lupus have a higher risk of depression than the general population. Persistent pain, fatigue, changes in daily functioning, and stress can all contribute.
  • Anxiety: Worry about flare-ups, long-term health, work, finances, or relationships can lead to ongoing anxiety.
  • Brain fog (“lupus fog”): Many people report difficulty with memory, concentration, finding words, or processing information. This is a recognized symptom, although its exact cause can vary.
  • Mood changes: These may result from the illness itself, pain, sleep disruption, or medications such as corticosteroids (for example, prednisone), which can sometimes cause irritability, anxiety, or mood swings.
  • Sleep problems: Pain, fatigue, and stress often interfere with sleep, which can worsen mood and cognitive function.

Lupus Exercise: MINDS MUSCLE MEALS

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Mr. Nick Pratap, Kinesiologist, Vancouver, BC

Home Exercise Program - Walking

Mr. Nick Pratap, Kinesiologist, Vancouver, BC

Home Exercise Program - Lateral Raise

Mr. Nick Pratap, Kinesiologist, Vancouver, BC

Home Exercise Program - Plank

Featuring Dr. John Watterson, MD, FRCPC Vancouver, BC

Treating Lupus Disease educational video.

During a lupus flare

If you have significant fatigue, fever, swollen joints, chest symptoms, or a major increase in other lupus symptoms, reduce the intensity and duration of exercise and discuss the flare with your healthcare team. Gentle stretching, short walks, or range-of-motion exercises may be more appropriate than strenuous exercise.

Don’t feel that you need to exercise through severe pain or exhaustion.

What causes lupus?

The exact cause isn’t known, but it’s thought to result from a combination of:

  • Genetics (having certain inherited risk factors)
  • Hormonal influences (it’s much more common in women, especially during childbearing years)
  • Environmental triggers, such as infections, sunlight, or certain medications

Lupus is not contagious.

Featuring Dr. John Watterson, MD, FRCPC Vancouver, BC

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If you’re taking prednisone

Long-term prednisone can increase the risk of osteoporosis and muscle weakness. Appropriate resistance and weight-bearing exercise can help protect muscle and bone, but progression should be gradual.

Sun exposure

If you have photosensitivity, which is common in lupus, outdoor exercise requires extra protection: use appropriate sunscreen and protective clothing and consider exercising outdoors outside periods of strong sunlight.

A good general goal is consistent, moderate activity rather than occasional intense workouts. Your rheumatologist or physiotherapist can help tailor an exercise program to your lupus activity, joints, medications, and fitness level.

How is it diagnosed?

There is no single test for lupus. Doctors usually make the diagnosis using:

  • A person’s symptoms and medical history
  • A physical examination
  • Blood tests (such as antinuclear antibody (ANA) and other autoimmune markers)
  • Urine tests to check for kidney involvement
  • Sometimes imaging or biopsies, depending on the organs affected