10 Do's and Don'ts When Your Loved One Has a Fibromyalgia Flare-Up
For those of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, “flare-up” is a familiar term. A flare-up is a sudden (or sometimes predictable) rise of multiple symptoms at once, causing extreme pain, physical and mental exhaustion. A flare-up can last hours, days, even months at a time.
- What is Fibromyalgia?
- What Are Common Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
The truth is, chronic pain bodies do what they want. A flare-up can be triggered by anything — a temperature shift, high stress levels, doing too much in a day, just getting dressed in the morning, taking a cab to work or just life itself… yup, it’s true.
As I discussed in my blog 25 Things You Should Know About People With Fibromyalgia, fibromyalgia can be really difficult to explain, but when a flare-up flares up, it’s a whole ‘nother animal.
The first time I had a flare-up I had no idea what was happening with my body. Every inch of me hurt. I couldn’t sit, stand or lay down without my entire body screaming in pain. From my eyelashes to my feet to my skin, to my muscles and joints, nothing felt right.
OMG! What the heck is going on? I thought. I was hospitalized right away and bedridden for eight days.
For me, a flare-up occurs most nights. This may be more frequent than average, but I keep a busy schedule.
Things can get pretty ugly during a flare-up, so I’ve started a list to raise awareness for how our loved ones and caretakers can flourish when a flare-up occurs. With your help, we can make this list even better.
Here is my list of 10 dos and don’ts that help me when I have a flare-up:
1. Don’t go into a catastrophic mindset. Keep a cool head. Your loved one will benefit from your calming energy. Yes, their body is retaliating; no, it won’t last forever.
2. Do let your loved one rest… a lot.
3. Do keep your loved one surrounded by heating pads and cool packs.
4. Don’t cook in the house until the flare-up is over — even if it’s your loved one’s favorite recipe, the smells can be nauseating.
5. Do spontaneously gift your loved one with nice, extra-comfy pajamas.
6. Do encourage your loved one to have their friends come over. Dress code: comfy pajamas.
7. Do help distract your loved one’s thoughts from their painful body by watching Netflix with them.
8. Do draw a bath for your loved one. Bonus if it’s infused with a clean scent like lavender or vanilla.
9. Don’t get into an argument with your loved one. Their short fuse just got shorter.
10. Do know that your loved one is so grateful for your compassion and tenderness.
Editor’s note: Any medical information included is based on a personal experience. For questions or concerns regarding health, please consult a doctor or medical professional.
A version of this post was originally published on The Huffington Post.
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Chronic Pain Advocate | Author | VP of Sales | Public Speaker | Puja Rios is Vice President of Sales at a top-ranked human capital software organization and the founder of her company’s Women’s Alliance, CareerBuildHER. In addition, she sits on the Executive Board of Bright Pink and prides herself on her work as a Chronic Pain advocate and blogger. Her mission to rebrand Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain has led her to be recognized as Fibro Daily's #1 Fibro Awareness Advocate, WEGO Health's 'Best Blog' and 'Rookie of the Year' finalist, and presenter at the 2018 HealtheVoices Conference. By working with top doctors through trial and error, Puja has dissected and revealed the endless effects of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain. Puja uses her voice to support over 100 million Americans diagnosed with these illnesses. She is the author of the Huffington Post feature blog, 'Me vs. Fibromyalgia,' as well as a contributor to Thrive Global, The Mighty, and New Life Outlook. Puja's warrior perspective is critical to both her success managing her Chronic Pain and her continued climb up the corporate ladder. Puja is proof that you can thrive despite intrusive disabilities like Fibro and CP.
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