What is Lupus?
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body like skin, joints and organs inside the body.
What happens if a person has a Lupus?
Lupus causes the immune system to attack healthy cells and tissue by mistake, which causes inflammation, pain and damage in skin, joints, blood vessels and various other organs.
What are the types of Lupus?
There are many kind of Lupus. The most common type is Lupus Erythematosus that affects many parts of the body. Discoid Lupus causes skin rashes that does not go away. Subacute Cutaneous Lupus causes sores after an exposure to the sun. Another type can be caused by medication. Natural Lupus which is very rare affects the newborns. Lupus is a serious, chronic disease, which means it never goes away completely. For most people, Lupus is mild and the symptoms are can be controlled. However if the Lupus is very severe it can be fatal..
What are the complications being associated with Lupus?
· Serious kidney damage that may require dialysis or kidney transplant.· Inflammation of the nervous system and brain which can cause memory problems confusion, headaches and strokes.
· An increase in blood pressure in the lungs (Pulmonary hypertension).
· Inflammation in the brains blood vessel which can cause high fevers seizures and changes in behavior.
· Hardening of the arteries a coronary artery disease caused by buildup of deposits on the coronary artery walls that can lead to a heart attack.
What is the prevalence of Lupus?
· Lupus affects mostly young women of childbearing age from 15 years old to 44 years old. However, men, children and teenagers can also develop Lupus.
· It is believed that 5 million of people throughout the world are affected by Lupus.
· More than 16,000 new cases of Lupus are reported to occur all across the country in a year.
How does Lupus occurs?
The exact cause of Lupus is not known but in most cases, it is hereditary. Most parents with Lupus have their children the tendency to develop the disease. Like other autoimmune diseases, attacks of Lupus seems to be triggered by particular events. Such as having a viral infection or being exposed to too much sunlight. Certain drugs might also cause some people to have Lupus like syndrome called drug induced lupus.What are the symptoms of Lupus?
Lupus can take many forms and does not affect everyone in the same way. Some of the more common symptoms are;
· Red rashes, often found on the face also called butterfly rash.
· Fever with no known cause.
· Joint pains with swelling.
· Muscle pains.
· Cold, numb fingers turning white then blue, then red.
Remission is a period where the symptoms of Lupus are not visible.
Flare-ups is the period where the symptoms of Lupus is very severe.
How is Lupus Diagnosed?
Lupus is known as “the great imitator” because its symptoms are being associated with may other illnesses causing it to become hard to diagnose. To determine the disease, the doctor has to go after the patients medical history and conduct complete physical examinations, skin biopsy and kidney biopsy followed by laboratory tests like;
· Complete blood count (CBC)
· Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
· Urinalysis
· Blood chemistries
· Complement levels
· Antinuclear antibody test (ANA)
· Other autoantibody tests (anti-DNA, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-Ro (SSA), anti-La (SSB)
· Anticardiolipin antibody test
What are the drugs that are generally used in the treatment of Lupus?
· NSAIDs ( No steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
· Corticosteroids the natural anti-inflammatory hormone that rapidly suppresses inflammations.
· Anti malarial drugs like Hydroxy-chloroquine that can be used in combination with other drugs. Continuous treatment with this drug may prevent flares from recurring.
· Immunosuppressive drugs that blocks the production of immune cells
How long does Lupus last?
Lupus is a life long disease and it is very hard to predict its course. Early detection, prompt and ongoing treatments with continued monitoring can help prevent serious damage to one’s organs and improve the chances of normal life span.
Care to be taken up by a person with Lupus.
· Learn to recognize the warning signs of flare-ups to take the steps to ward it off and reduce its intensity.
· Receive regular health care, instead of seeking help only when symptoms worsen.
· Discuss all medications with your healthcare provider including birth control pills and other medicines that contains estrogen.
· Women with Lupus should receive regular preventive health care, such as gynecological and breast examinations.
· Men with Lupus should have the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. Both men and women need to have their blood pressure and cholesterol checked on a regular basis.
· Maintain a healthy weight. Stay physically active to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
· Get plenty of rest.
· Learn ways to cope with stress specially if stress triggers one’s symptoms.
· Exposure to the sun can worsen skin rashes and other problems of Lupus. Try to avoid outdoor activities during peak sunlight hours usually from 10AM to 4PM. When you are exposed to sunlight wear a hat to shield your face. Wear clothing’s that covers your arms, legs and chest. Always use sun screen on your skin.
