Selena Gomez has received praise for outlining the physical changes that occur when she takes lupus medication. .
The 30-year-old singer has previously been outspoken about her diagnosis, but more recently, she has received derogatory remarks about her appearance. .
On a TikTok live, Selena admitted to her fans that she "holds a lot of water weight" when taking medication.
She said, "I would much rather be healthy and take care of myself.".
"My medications are crucial, and I think they're what makes a difference for me. ".
In the untreatable autoimmune disease lupus, healthy tissue is attacked by the body's overactive immune system.
Medication is a tool for managing symptoms. Selena disclosed in 2017 that her lupus-related kidney transplantation.
Selena's willingness to be so open about her experience has meant a lot to Selena's friends Kate Appleby and Chris Clarke, both of whom are 30 and have lupus.
Chris declares, "I, and probably the entire lupus community, fully support having someone like Selena stand up and shout above the rooftops.".
Selena's bravery is "incredible," says Kate, who claims to have experienced body-shaming and has nearly 40,000 Instagram followers.
"I change from being extremely thin to being a little curvier.
You go from having a more obvious illness to having one that is much more concealed, she observes.
I've received a lot of criticism from people commenting on both how my illness is managed and how my appearance changes because I have a sort of public profile. ".
The NHS reports that lupus affects more women than men.
Chris adds that his appetite is altered by his medication.
I do have a small beer belly, but not from drinking beer. I've taken one of the drugs, which is a steroid," he claims.
"Everyone thinks steroids are great because they help you gain muscle. It's not that steroid, though.
It makes you hungry, and trying to control your appetite is much more difficult. ".
The NHS claims that lupus is a multi-systemic disease that is difficult to diagnose and poorly understood.
The severity of its symptoms can range from minor to fatal.
Despite the fact that some types only affect the skin, the term is typically used to refer to lupus erythematosus (SLE), a more severe variation of the illness.
The skin, joints, and internal organs are just a few of the body parts that are impacted by this.
Before experiencing a sudden flare-up, a large number of people may have the condition for a long time without being aware of it.
Extreme fatigue is one of the symptoms, along with rashes (especially on the face, wrists, and hands), joint pain, and swelling.
The quality of life can be greatly impacted by even mild cases, which can be distressing.
It can be challenging to diagnose because the symptoms can be similar to those of more common ailments.
As he had never even heard of the condition when he was first diagnosed, Chris says Selena's efforts to raise awareness are very important.
In the end, Kate continues, "what Selena is doing saves lives.".
"Going back to my mental health issues when I was first diagnosed, if someone like Selena had been around at that time, being very vocal and talking about it would have personally made all the difference for me. ".
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