Pain management can help your stress levels according to experts. This may seem like an obvious conclusion, but many times people overlook the stress caused when they have various ailments and pain.
Dear Dr. Gott: Since childhood, I have been suffering with tonsillitis, chronic colds and allergies - both seasonal and medication-induced. At the age of 24, I was diagnosed with discoid lupus; at the age of 30, with fibromyalgia, pleurisy, kidney stones/ infection, vertigo, depression and anxiety.
My ANA test for three years has come back normal, but I continue to get lesions, my hair falls out, and I get sick easily. I have been to two rheumatologists. Both say I do not have SLE, but my family doctor feels I do. What do you think?
I'm now 33, my bones are brittle, and I have osteoarthritis in my hands and fingers. Help!
Dear Reader: Discoid lupus is a chronic skin disorder that shows as a raised red rash that ordinarily appears on the face and scalp but can appear in other areas of the body, including the nose and ears. The lesions may last for days or years and can recur. Some people diagnosed with discoid lupus may develop systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at a later date.
Depression and anxiety can be caused by lupus, fibromyalgia, kidney stones and vertigo. Osteoarthritis, a breakdown of cartilage, causes pain and stiffness of affected joints. The condition is commonly associated with the aging process, but at 33, you are far from old. Treatment is geared toward controlling pain through medication, rest, exercise and protection of the affected joint(s).
Because so many of your symptoms involve pain, I'm inclined to suggest that you be referred to a pain clinic for control or request a referral to a larger diagnostic center, such as the Mayo Clinic. You will learn methods for reducing the level of pain you presently experience that may include water aerobics and yoga. Appropriate medication might be ordered. Once you get that aspect under control, the anxiety and stress levels you are under may be reduced.
Source: Yellowbrix
