Lauren's Touch, Inc. is a non-profit company that was organized exclusively for providing Comfort Care Bags for patients undergoing dialysis treatment or dealing with Lupus complications.

Choosing Love and Self Care for You
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OUR MISSION
  
To supply Comfort Care Bags that will promote self-care to Lupus and dialysis patients.
  
OUR VISION
  
To be the most trusted and reliable agency that healthcare providers can depend on for Comfort Care Bags to the many Lupus and dialysis patients.
  
  
DEFINING LUPUS
Lupus is a chronic health condition that lasts a long time, typically more than 3 months. Lupus is a chronic condition that currently has no cure. Lupus is a disease that involves your immune system and can damage any part of the body. Your immune system is like a bodyguard against invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and other germs. Normally, a part of your immune system works to fight off these invaders by making antibody: a molecule in your body that, when working correctly, protects the body from foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria.
But in the case of Lupus, the immune system can’t tell the difference between the invaders and your body’s own healthy tissue. It creates auto-antibody: an antibody that destroys the body’s own healthy cells, which can cause inflammation and organ damage that attack and destroy the healthy tissue, causing inflammation: the body’s response after an injury or infection in order to repair and heal itself; commonly identified by redness, heat, swelling, and pain throughout various parts of the body. Over time, this inflammation may damage the organs of the body.
  
  
16 Symptoms of Lupus That You Need to Know
  
What Exactly Is Lupus?
  
Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system attacks organs and tissues. It often affects the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs. Lupus is an insidious disease since its symptoms are similar to many other illnesses. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, there are around 16,000 new cases of lupus every year and up to 1.5 million Americans may be living with this condition. Scientists still haven’t found the exact cause of lupus but some factors may increase the risk of the disease. These include: 

Emotional stress 
Taking certain drugs (antifungals, antibiotics, thyroid medications, and oral contraceptive pills)
Long-term sunlight exposure 
  

  
How Does Lupus Affect the Body?
Kidneys 
Lupus can rapidly destroy kidneys and cause nephritis. Around 1 in 3 patients with lupus have kidney problems, moreover, kidney failure is the most common cause of death among people with lupus. The main symptom of damaged kidneys is blood in the urine. 
Brain and central nervous system
Frequent headaches and dizziness indicate brain damage in people with lupus. Rain and central nervous system damage are also characterized by changes in behavior, vision impairment, seizures, depression, and even stroke. Many patients with this disease have memory disturbances and can’t express their thoughts. 

Blood and blood vessels      
Lupus can change blood coagulation and even lead to anemia and thrombocytopenia. The disease can sometimes provoke vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels). Therefore, people with lupus should regularly visit a vein specialist. 

Lungs  
Lupus may provoke pleuritis or inflammation of the chest cavity lining which can cause chest pain, shallow breathing, and pneumonia.
  
Heart 
If Lupus affects the heart, it can result in endocarditis and myocarditis which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks. 
  
  
Symptoms of Lupus 
Lupus symptoms may differ and often depend on what body system is attacked by the disease. However, lupus has certain general signs that may help detect this condition and prevent irreversible consequences and death. These include: 
Frequent headaches                                     Chest pain 
Memory impairment                                     Dry eyes 
Chronic fatigue                                               Sensitivity to the sun 
Hair loss                                                           Unexplained and rapid weight loss
Joint pain                                                          Swollen lymph nodes                                                    
Anemia                                                             Arthritis 
High body temperature                                 Deep breathing                             
Regular leg swelling                                        Butterfly rash and red patches 

The last symptom is the most obvious sign of lupus. Other symptoms may indicate different diseases but if you notice several of the described above signs, you need to consult your therapist to make the right diagnosis.​​
  
How to Treat Lupus? 
Lupus is still incurable but it can be managed. Doctors usually plan individual lupus management which will be the most effective in the particular case and prevent dangerous health consequences. But there certain medications that are most commonly used in most cases: 
Antimalarial drugs. These medications affect the immune system function and reduce the risk of lupus flares. They are also used for joint pain, fatigue, skin rashes, and lung inflammation. But antimalarials have dangerous side effects including retinal damage, therefore before taking them, consult your doctor.

Anti-inflammatory drugs. Ibuprofen helps relieve internal inflammation, joint pain, swelling, and lupus-related fever.   
Corticosteroids. Corticosteroids help reduce swelling and inflammation and in high doses, they can calm the immune system. They are used for treating kidney and brain problems caused by lupus. 

Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is usually used in severe cases of lupus when it affects major organs and other medications don’t help.

Proper Lupus management, giving up bad habits, taking medicines, getting regular physical activity, and eating a healthy diet will help you live a healthy and happy life and avoid complications.​​
Disclosure
Our organization does not give medical advice or diagnose patrons. Patients should consult your physician at all times. The information here was extracted from the following website for information purposes only. You should not use this information to self-diagnose.

Website: 
https://www.doccheck.com/en/detail/articles/24603-16-symptoms-of-lupus-that-you-need-to-know
  
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Disclosure
Laurens Touch Foundation do not own the rights to these videos. However, we do support lupus.org and the work that they do to support and advocate for Lupus.
Lauren's Touch Foundation is a tax-exempt organization with a 501 (c)(3) status as determined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Contributions to Lauren's Touch Foundation are tax deductible as provided in Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code.