Lupus is a disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its tissues and organs (an autoimmune disease). Inflammation from Lupus can affect various systems in the body, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs.
Because the signs and symptoms of Lupus are often similar to other diseases, it can be difficult to diagnose. The most common symptom of Lupus (a butterfly-like rash on both cheeks) occurs in many, but not all, cases of Lupus.
Some people are born with a tendency to develop Lupus, which can be caused by infection, certain medications, or sunlight. There is no cure for Lupus, but treatment can control symptoms.
What is lupus disease?
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which our body’s immune system becomes overactive and attacks normal and healthy tissue. Symptoms of lupus disease include inflammation, swelling, and damage to bone joints, skin, kidneys, blood, heart, and lungs.
Because of its complex nature, people sometimes refer to Lupus as a “heavenly disease.”
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, about 16,000 new cases of Lupus are reported in the United States each year, and up to 1.5 million people may have Lupus.
The Foundation claims that Lupus especially affects women and most often occurs between the ages of 15 and 44.
Lupus is not contagious. You cannot pass it on to another person sexually or otherwise.
However, women with Lupus may have children developing this Disease in rare cases. This is called neonatal Lupus.
Symptoms Lupus
A red butterfly-shaped rash [[ears on the nose and both sides of the cheeks
Now some cases of Lupus are the same. Signs and symptoms of this disease may appear suddenly or develop slowly, mild or hard, and the base of this Disease is temporary or permanent. Most people with this Disease have a mild illness characterized by signs and symptoms that get worse for a while and then get better or go away for a while (called redness).
The signs and symptoms of this disease depend on the system in the body affected by the Disease.
Signs and Symptoms Of lupus disease include:
- Fatigue ( Click Here to read more About Fatigue Prevention)
- Fever ( Click Here to read Best Home Remedies For Fever)
- Joint pain
- Stiffness
- Swelling
A butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose, or a lupus rash in other parts of the body.
- Skin brightness that appears or very worsens with the sun exposure
- Fingers and toes that turn white or blue during periods of cold or stress
- Dyspnea
- Chest pain
- Dry eye
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Memory loss
Causes of Lupus
Lupus, an autoimmune disease, occurs when the immune system attacks healthy tissues in the body. A combination of heredity and environment most likely causes this Disease.
People with a genetic predisposition develop the Disease through contact with anything in the environment that can cause this problem. However, the cause of Lupus is hideable or unknown in some cases. Some potential triggers:
Sunlight. Sun exposure can cause this Disease or internal reactions in sensitive individuals.
Infection. The infection can cause Lupus or relapse in some people.
Drug, remedy, medication. Certain blood pressure medications, anticonvulsants, and antibiotics can cause this serious Disease. People with healing lupus usually get better when they stop taking the drug. In rare cases, symptoms may persist after the drug is discontinued.
Risk factors of Lupus
These Factors that can increase your risk include:
Your gender -Lupus is more common in women.
Age– This Disease can affect people of all ages but is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45.
Gyeongju– Lupus is more common among African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans.
Complications
Inflammation caused by this Disease can affect many parts of the body, including:
Kidneys
This Autoimmune Disease can cause serious kidney damage, and kidney failure is one of the leading causes of death in people with this Disease.
Brain and central nervous system
If Lupus infects your brain, you may experience headaches, dizziness, behavior changes, blurry vision problems, and strokes or seizures. Many people with this DDisease have memory problems and may have trouble expressing their thoughts.
Blood and blood vessels
Lupus can cause blood problems, including decreased healthy red blood cells (anemia) and an increased risk of bleeding or blood clots. It can also cause a change in blood flow and mix impurities in the blood vessels.
Lungs
If you suffer from this Disease, you are more likely to develop inflammation of the lining of your chest, making breathing painful. Light bleeding and pneumonia are also possible.
Heart
Lupus can cause inflammation of the heart muscle, arteries, or pericardium. It also significantly increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack.
Other types of complications
This Disease also increases the risk of:
Epidemic Infection
Those Suffering from this Disease are more susceptible to infection because both Disease and treatment can weaken the immune system.
Cancer
those people have been infected with this disease that appears to increase your cancer risk. However, the risk is low.
Dying from bone tissue
This occurs when the blood supply to the bones decreases, often resulting in small bone fractures and, eventually, bone destruction.
Pregnancy complications
Women suffering from this DDisease have a higher risk of miscarriage. Lupus increases the risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy and premature birth. To reduce the risk of these complications, doctors often recommend delaying pregnancy for at least six months until the condition is controlled.
Diagnosis of Lupus
Complete blood test:
This test measures the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, as well as the amount of hemoglobin. This test’s results can tell you that if you have anemia, which usually occurs in Lupus, there is also a decrease in white blood cells or platelets.
Sedimentation rate:
This test determines the rate and the number of white blood cells remaining in the tube within an hour. A faster-than-normal rate may indicate a disease such as Lupus. The sedimentation rate is not Disease specific. If you have this Disease, an inflammatory or inflammatory condition, cancer, or infection, the rate is higher than normal.
Kidney and liver assessment:
You can also find out how well your kidneys and liver are working with a blood test Because, in this Disease, these organs are affected.
Urine analysis:
In this test, a urine sample is checked. The protein level in the urine or increased red blood cells is checked. Because these types of problems usually occur when Lupus affects the kidneys.
Antinuclear antibody (ANA) test:
May do a test to check for the presence of antibodies produced by your immune system, which indicates an immune system boost. Most people with this Disease have an antinuclear antibody (ANA) test. However, most people with ANA often do not develop this Disease. If your NNA test is positive, your doctor may recommend other specific tests.
Chest X-ray:
A chest X-ray may be seen as an abnormal reflection, indicating swelling and fluid accumulation in the lungs.
Echocardiogram:
This test uses sound waves to show real-time pictures of your heartbeat. This can check for problems with your heart valves and other parts of the heart.
Biopsy:
Lupus can damage the kidneys in many ways, and the treatment varies depending on the damage. In some cases, a small sample of the kidney is also tested for the best treatment. This sample is taken out with the help of a needle or by making a small incision.
Treatment of Lupus
The following drugs are commonly used to treat inflammation and symptoms of Lupus: Because this Disease appears differently from person to person, treatment regimens vary from person to person. In addition, a patient may receive several different treatment regimens throughout his or her lifetime.
It is important to understand the medications you are taking and their risks, benefits, and limitations. Take your medications exactly as directed by your doctor, and answer any questions or concerns at your next visit.
Treatment of Lupus with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
These anti-inflammatory drugs relieve some of the symptoms of the Disease by reducing inflammation that causes stiffness and discomfort in muscles, joints, and other tissues. NSAIDs are weaker than many other disease medications and can be taken alone or in combination with other medicines to treat mild flare-ups.
- Celecoxib (Celebrex)
- Diflunisal (Dolobid)
- Etodolac (Lodine)
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Rufen)
- Indomethacin (Indocin)
- Meloxicam (Mobic)
- Midrin
- Nabumetrone (Relafin)
- Naproxen (Naprosyn, Alleve)
- Oxaprozin (Daypro, Duraprox)
- Piroxicam (Feldene)
- Salsalate (Disalcid)
- Sulindac (Clinoril)
- Tolmetin (Tolectin)
- Triplicate
- Ketoprofen (Orudis, Oruvail)
Treatment of Lupus with antimalarial drugs
Plaquenil and other antimalarial drugs are key to the long-term control of Lupus, and some people with this Disease can take Plaquenil for life. For this reason, antimalarial drugs can be viewed as a kind of “Disease as life insurance.”
- Hydroxychloroquine (placenil)
- Chloroquine (Aralen)
- Quinacrine (Atabrine)
Lupus treatment with immunosuppressants
Immunosuppressants are drugs that help suppress the immune system. Used most of them to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ by the recipient’s body. However, these drugs are now also used to treat certain autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
- Azathioprine (Imuran)
- Mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept)
- Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmun, Gengraf)
- methotrexate (Rheumatrex)
- Leflunomide (Arabah)
- Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
- Chlorambucil (Leukeran)
- Nitric Mustard (Musargen)
Treating lupus with DHEA
DHEA is mild testosterone used to treat mild to moderate lupus symptoms, including hair loss (alopecia), joint pain, fatigue, and cognitive impairment (impaired thinking, memory loss, distraction, and difficulty doing multiple tasks). ). DHEA may also be effective in osteoporosis.
