Lupus is an autoimmune disease. The immune system itself attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. This can damage many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain.
Different types of lupus
Skin lupus-causes rashes or skin lesions, usually when exposed to sunlight.
Drug-induced lupus: Similar to SLE, it is caused by an overreaction to certain medications. Symptoms usually go away when the medicine is stopped.
Neonatal lupus: occurs when an infant acquires autoantibodies from his or her mother with SLE (the autoantibodies are immune proteins that mistakenly attack and damage the person's own tissues or organs). While skin, liver and blood problems disappear in six months, the most serious problem, congenital heart block, requires the placement of a pacemaker (basic CDC online fact sheet).
Fun fact: Although lupus can affect anyone, it is more common in women. In fact, nine out of ten adults with the disease are women. It is also more common in African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women than Caucasian women.
symptoms of lupus
Fatigue
Between 50% and 90% of people with lupus identify fatigue as one of the main symptoms. There appear to be many factors that cause intense tiredness associated with lupus, including disease progression, anxiety or sleep disorders, vitamin D deficiency, and lack of physical activity. Scientists differ as to whether there is also a link between fatigue and the disease itself or the treatments used to treat it.
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Regardless of the cause, it is clear that fatigue can significantly affect the patient's quality of life, including reduced ability to function at home and at work. Two studies conducted through a network of clinical trials established by the Lupus Research Alliance seek to identify better methods for measuring fatigue objectively.Malar rash
About half of people with lupus experience a characteristic red "malar" rash or a change in butterfly-shaped coloring that can occur in the cheeks and nasal bridge. The rash may last for days or weeks and is usually painful or itchy. Rashes may also appear on the face and ears, upper arms, shoulders, chest, and hands, as well as in other areas when exposed to sunlight.
Because many people with lupus have sensitivity to sunlight (called photosensitivity), skin rashes usually develop or worsen when exposed to sunlight. Some people point out that the appearance of a butterfly rash is a sign that they will have an outbreak of the disease.
- Joint pain and inflammation
Up to 90% of people with lupus will develop arthritis, which is defined as inflammation or swelling of the lining of the joints. The most common symptoms of arthritis are stiffness and joint pain, usually in the hands and wrists. Symptoms of arthritis may come and go, as well as moving from one joint to another. Pain and stiffness are usually worse in the morning and improve progressively during the day. Lupus patients can also suffer from joint pain without swelling or tenderness, known as arthralgia.
- Fever
Most people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a fever with no apparent cause (temperature over 100 °F[37.8 °C]). Doctors usually recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (eg, naproxen or ibuprofen) or acetaminophen.
There is no cure for lupus, but medications and lifestyle changes can help control it.
People with lupus often have to see several doctors. In principle, you will have a primary care physician and a rheumatologist (a doctor who specializes in joint and muscle diseases). Depending on how lupus affects your body, you may need to see other specialists. For example, if lupus causes problems with the heart or blood vessels, you may see a cardiologist.
Your primary care physician should coordinate care among different health care providers and treat other problems as they arise. Your doctor will develop a treatment plan to meet your needs. You and your doctor should review the plan to make sure it is working. You should report new symptoms immediately to change treatment if necessary.
The goals of the treatment plan are:
- Preventing outbreaks
- Treat symptoms when they occur
- Reduce organ damage and other problems
Treatments may include medications for:
- Reduce inflammation and pain
- Prevent or reduce outbreaks
- Help the immune system
- Reduce or prevent joint damage
- Balance hormones
- In addition to taking medicines for lupus, you may need to take medicines for lupus-related problems, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or infections.
Alternative treatments are those that are not part of standard treatment. At this time, there is no medical research indicating that alternative therapies are helpful in treating lupus. Some alternative or complementary approaches can help you cope with or reduce the stress associated with living with a chronic illness. You should talk to your doctor before trying any alternative treatment.
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