On Sunday’s season premiere of Keeping Up With The Kardashians , amongst tons of other drama, Kim revealed a major health scare: She tested positive for lupus antibodies.
For weeks, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” had been teasing us with all juicy upcoming drama that we couldn’t wait to feast our eyes on.
Scott Disick possibly going to prison, more Tristan Thompson and Jordyn Woods drama, and clips of Kourtney’s 40th birthday party.
RELATED STORIES
We really had no idea what was actually in-store for us.
In the midst of all the Kanye West and Tristan drama that aired on Sunday night, there was also a shockingly intense moment where Kim revealed a serious health scare.
The clip after just after Khloé opened up, explaining that she didn’t actually want Tristan to go to their daughter’s birthday party, Kim said that she woke up with swollen hands.
Swollen joints are a common symptom of lupus.
“I’ve been feeling so tired, so nauseous, and my hands are really getting swollen. I feel like I literally am falling apart. My hands are numb,” she said.
Initially, Kim pegged her symptoms on the anxiety she had been experiencing leading up to the birth of her fourth child.
But to be on the safe side, she decided to pay a visit to her doctor.
“I have to go to the doctor and see what’s going on because I can’t live like this,” she said.
While she was at the doctor’s office, after running blood tests, Kim awaited the results.
Naturally, she was “freaking out” and called the wait time “torturous”.
She explained that the last thing she needed on her plate was a health complication.
“I have a baby on the way, I have law school. It just can really scare you when you start thinking about how much this is going to change my life,” she said.
At the end of the episode, Kim is finally given the results of her blood test.
The doctor uncovered that Kim’s blood tested positive for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus antibodies.
Kim tearfully shared the news with her family.
“You know, you really do get in your head and think about the worst possible things that can happen. So for the next few days, it’s going to really be hell…wondering what I have, what’s going on, and how to fix this,” she said.
For those of you that are unclear on what lupus is exactly, here’s what you need to know:
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that happens when your body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs.
As a result, inflammation can affect your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.
Typically, lupus can be difficult to diagnose, as its symptoms can easily be confused for other illnesses.
The most distinctive sign that someone may have lupus is if they have a butterfly-shaped rash on their face. However, it’s not guaranteed to happen in all cases.
There is currently no cure for lupus, but there are forms of treatment available to help control the symptoms.
Symptoms include fatigue, fever, joint pain, stiffness and swelling, butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose, skin lesions, fingers and toes that turn white or blue, shortness of breath, chest pain, dry eyes, headaches, confusion, and memory loss.
The good news is, many people who test positive for lupus antibodies do not actually have lupus. False positives are very common.
If one does test positive for lupus antibodies, their doctor may recommend further testing to land on a more definitive diagnosis.
A positive ANA (antinuclear antibody) simply indicates that Kim’s immune system is stimulated.
If your immune system is stimulated, that typically indicates your body is fighting something. But that isn’t always a cause for major concern.
Essentially, no one test could confirm whether or not somebody does, in fact, have lupus.
Ergo, it will be up to Kim’s doctor to run further tests such as checking her erythrocyte sedimentation rate, conducting a kidney and liver assessment, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis.
We’ll have to stay tuned to Keeping Up for the latest updates on Kim’s health!
