Toni Braxton says she was told to hide her lupus diagnosis because 'people get scared around sick celebrities' (2024)

FAQs

Toni Braxton says she was told to hide her lupus diagnosis because 'people get scared around sick celebrities'? ›

The Grammy-winning singer and actress, 56, said she was told by her management to hide her diagnosis in the latest episode of women's health podcast SHE MD. "People get scared around sick celebrities," Braxton said. "And I couldn't get insured.

Signs and symptoms may come on suddenly or develop slowly, may be mild or severe, and may be temporary or permanent. Most people with lupus have mild disease characterized by episodes — called flares — when signs and symptoms get worse for a while, then improve or even disappear completely for a time.

Most people with lupus develop the disease between the ages of 15-44. People with lupus can experience significant symptoms, such as pain, extreme fatigue, hair loss, cognitive issues, and physical impairments that affect every facet of their lives.

Lupus can be hard to diagnose because it has many symptoms that are often mistaken for symptoms of other diseases. Many people have lupus for a while before they find out they have it.

However, in cases where symptoms are nonspecific, such as fatigue or occasional joint pain, or when symptoms mimic other conditions, lupus can go undiagnosed for several years. It's not unheard of for people to live with lupus for 5 to 10 years or even longer before receiving a definitive diagnosis.

Anti-Smith Antibody Tests

The anti-Smith antibody, also known as the anti-Sm antibody, targets the body's own proteins and is found almost exclusively in people with lupus. Though not all people with lupus have this antibody, those who do usually receive a diagnosis of lupus.

Lupus is not a hereditary condition. However, genetic factors play an important role in the condition, and certain inheritable genes may increase a person's risk of developing lupus. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.

Weight changes — Lupus can sometimes cause weight loss or weight gain. Weight loss may be unintentional and due to decreased appetite or problems with the digestive system (see 'Digestive system' below). It can also be a side effect of some medications used to treat lupus.

Some common autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes mellitus, are relatively easy to diagnose, while others, such as vasculitis, Addison's disease, lupus, and other rheumatic diseases, are more difficult.

Researchers of one study found that those with lupus who had a daily caffeine intake between 154 mg – 377 mg/day experienced a lower prevalence of “lupus nephritis, neuropsychiatric involvement, hematological manifestations, hypocomplementemia, and anti-DNA positivity.” These individuals also had lower blood levels of ...

Is lupus worse than MS? ›

In general, lupus does more generalized damage to your body than MS, which primarily damages the nervous system.

Class 4 involves damage to more than half of the glomerulus. A person will have high blood pressure. They may require dialysis as kidney function begins to worsen.

Overview. Sjogren's (SHOW-grins) syndrome is a disorder of your immune system identified by its two most common symptoms — dry eyes and a dry mouth. The condition often accompanies other immune system disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

As a result, people with lupus are frequently misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, skin disorders, psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression or receive no answers at all.

Lupus can affect many parts of your body, including the eyes. It can cause skin problems around the eye and dry eye — and side effects from lupus medicines can sometimes cause eye problems too. Although lupus doesn't usually cause serious vision loss, it can happen in rare cases.

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with a wide range of clinical presentations resulting from its effect on multiple organ systems. There are four main types of lupus: neonatal, discoid, drug-induced, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the type that affects the majority of patients.

A 2021 review highlights that cancer, end-stage kidney disease, and infection can cause death as lupus progresses, although factors such as geographical location may affect this rate. However, treatment progression is significantly improving outcomes for people with lupus.