Lupus is a painful and very unpredictable disease. The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million Americans suffer from Lupus, and at least 5 million worldwide. A couple of other useful facts are that Lupus affects mostly women and typically develops between the ages of 15-44.

What is Lupus?
Lupus is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that is caused when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. Your immune system is designed to recognize the healthy cells in your body and will respond when it encounters something unfamiliar. In Lupus, this distinguishing system goes awry and antibodies begin to attack healthy tissue. Lupus is a complex diagnoses including tests and symptoms and can not be diagnosed by one single test. The fact that it can show up in so many combinations of ways and mimic other diseases can make it tricky to diagnose.

• Lupus never affects 2 people in the same way
• A large majority of Lupus diagnoses are women, however it can affect both men and women
• Symptoms of Lupus vary from person to person & can mimic other diseases
• A blood test can help but is not a sure fire diagnoses
• Lupus affects African Americans and Asians more than other races
• There is no known cure for Lupus

What are the types of Lupus?

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus : This type of Lupus is the most commonly diagnosed type of Lupus.
• Discoid Lupus Erythematosus : This type of Lupus only affects the skin. It is characterized by a red, raised rash on the skin that can become scaly & thickened. The rash is most reported on the face & scalp, but can appear anywhere on the skin.
• Drug Induced Lupus : This type of Lupus is brought on by the use of certain medications. Typically the symptoms stop within 6 months when the drug is stopped, however in rare cases some patients can go on to develop SLE. Men are most commonly diagnosed with this form of Lupus because they are more likely to be prescribed the offending medications. The 3 drugs most commonly connected with this form of Lupus are:
• Hydralazine - used to treat high blood pressure
• Isoniazid - used to treat tuberculosis
• Procainamide - used to treat irregular heart rhythms

What are the symptoms of Lupus?
There are many many reported symptoms of Lupus. Below are the most commonly reported symptoms.

• Joint ache/chronic widespread pain
• Swollen joints
• Intermittent & unexplained fever of 100 degrees or more
• Pain in the chest when taking a deep breath, known as pleurisy
• Skin rash, especially the appearance of a butterfly shaped rash across the cheeks and nose
• Water retention and swelling of the ankles
• Extreme chronic fatigue
• Sun sensitivity
• Seizures
• Mouth sores, and sores in nose
• Hair loss
• Anxiety & Depression

How can CBD help with Lupus?
There is not alot of research into the effects of CBD on Lupus, however we know the impact it has on other conditions and we are well aware of the therapeutic benefits of CBD that can lend itself to the possible outcome of using CBD to help with Lupus symptoms. There are literally thousands of people who use CBD to help with a wide variety of symptoms and disorders.
Pain -CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory and can help with the pain and inflammation that sufferers widely report.
Rash -CBD can help reduce the swelling and discomfort from rashes and lesions
Side Effects from prescription medications -The medications prescribed for the treatment of Lupus have many many reported side effects and some even carry a high risk for addiction. CBD has no known side effects and is not addictive.
Anxiety/Depression -Anxiety & depression are many times reported with any chronic diagnoses and Lupus is no exception. Numerous studies show that CBD helps alleviate stress, anxiety, & depression. CBD stimulates the 5-HT1A receptor which has been shown to lower anxiety in patients. Stimulating this receptor can also positively impact sleep, nausea, mood, and appetite.

Read some customer testimonials on Leafly here.