Symptoms Of Lupus Disease
The symptoms of lupus disease are always very hard to diagnose and as a result, it continues to pose challenges for physicians all over the world. The symptoms are always confusing especially when the disease is still in its infant stages. When a patient walks in the hospital with nonspecific symptoms, the last thing a doctor may be thinking of is lupus. As a result, the patient is likely to continue suffering for long periods of time without the correct medication. Most doctors are given to think that these symptoms are due to stress and depressions.
For the patients, this is most frustrating because people think they are lazy or crazy. Nobody believes them because physically they may just look fine.
It is vitally important that a doctor knows these symptoms so that the disease is detected early. Early detection is very important as it helps lower the chance to the damage of the patient's organs as well as reducing other complications that may accompany this condition. The disease can be diagnosed by any of the following three methods:
* Carrying out blood and urine tests
* Using the patient's past medical history and exams
* Report of symptoms for the patient
Another common test that doctors use to detect the presence of the disease is the anti-nuclear antibody test. Simply referred to as ANA, this test looks for those antibodies that are reacting against the nucleus. When the person is found to have an elevated ANA, this could be a pointer that they suffer from this condition.
A study on the symptoms of lupus revealed that what most patients were worried about regarding this condition was fatigue. In spite of sleeping all night, patients still woke up feeling tired and exhausted. They could not even pick their children from school or attend to other normal chores. This problem may last for a long as four months and then it suddenly disappears.
Another symptom that manifests itself when a person is suffering from this disease is flu-related symptoms. These are swelling around the eyes, pain in the joints and in the chest.
The following are some of the symptoms of lupus:
* Skin rashes that is unexplainable
* Anemia
* Pain in the legs and also in the arms
* Tendency to suffer from urinary tract infections
* Kidney disorders
* Tendency of catching fevers
* Exhaustion or fatigue
* Sores in the mouth
If a patient has those symptoms, then it is s highly recommended that a doctor diagnoses them with lupus.
Showing posts with label Lupus Remission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lupus Remission. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Lupus-the Disease
Lupus-the Disease
Lupus the disease is medically termed as SLE, which is the acronym of Systemic Lupus erythematosus. Systemic Lupus eythematosus is a multi system connective tissue disease, characterized by the presence of widespread tissue damage. This damage is caused by the huge number of anti bodies and also due to the circulating immune complexes.
The significance of this disease is in its cultural prevalence. The systemic lupus erythematosus is found all over the world, but it is more common and more frequent in the United States of America and the Far East. American blacks are more affected with prevalence ratio as high as 1in 250 among females.
The onset is more common in the second and the third decades of life and the female to male ratio is 9: 1
Causes:
Though the exact cause remains to be found out, general studies reveal a genetic background for the disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus is one of the manifestations of the Auto immune diseases, where there is altered immune response of the body immunity against its own cells.
The genetic link is explained by the prevalence of the disease in monozygotic twins and also in related family members
A defect in the Ts- the suppressor lymphocytes of the immune system seems to be a feature of this disease.
Environmental factors
Exposure to Sunlight can provocate an acute flare up in genetically predisposed individuals.
Certain drugs can also cause SLE.
Hormonal factors:
The disease is more prevalent in women of the fertile age, during pregnancy, during puerperium, in women using hormonal contraceptives, in men with a hormonal and chromosomal aberration, called as Klinefelter syndrome. All these factors point to a strong hormonal link in the causation.
Viral infection:
Viral infection has been proved to induce systemic lupus erythematosus in animals, but not yet been proved in humans.
Types of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus:
* Chronic Discoid lupus Erythematosus
* Drug induced Lupus
* Mixed connective tissue disease
* Progressive Systemic Sclerosis
Clinical features:
* Arthritis, arthalgia and fever are the most common trio of presenting symptoms.
* Skin lesions and painful oral or naso pharyngeal ulcers may also be found but are less common.
* Cardio pulmonary features like pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, pleurisy, fibrosing alveolitis and acute shrinking lung syndrome may also be found.
* Renal disease like neprotic syndrome and renal failure are all the worse kind of effects with a very poor prognosis.
* CNS disturbances like Epilepsy, severe depression, dementia, hemiplegia, chore, neuropathy etc.
Lupus the disease is medically termed as SLE, which is the acronym of Systemic Lupus erythematosus. Systemic Lupus eythematosus is a multi system connective tissue disease, characterized by the presence of widespread tissue damage. This damage is caused by the huge number of anti bodies and also due to the circulating immune complexes.
The significance of this disease is in its cultural prevalence. The systemic lupus erythematosus is found all over the world, but it is more common and more frequent in the United States of America and the Far East. American blacks are more affected with prevalence ratio as high as 1in 250 among females.
The onset is more common in the second and the third decades of life and the female to male ratio is 9: 1
Causes:
Though the exact cause remains to be found out, general studies reveal a genetic background for the disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus is one of the manifestations of the Auto immune diseases, where there is altered immune response of the body immunity against its own cells.
The genetic link is explained by the prevalence of the disease in monozygotic twins and also in related family members
A defect in the Ts- the suppressor lymphocytes of the immune system seems to be a feature of this disease.
Environmental factors
Exposure to Sunlight can provocate an acute flare up in genetically predisposed individuals.
Certain drugs can also cause SLE.
Hormonal factors:
The disease is more prevalent in women of the fertile age, during pregnancy, during puerperium, in women using hormonal contraceptives, in men with a hormonal and chromosomal aberration, called as Klinefelter syndrome. All these factors point to a strong hormonal link in the causation.
Viral infection:
Viral infection has been proved to induce systemic lupus erythematosus in animals, but not yet been proved in humans.
Types of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus:
* Chronic Discoid lupus Erythematosus
* Drug induced Lupus
* Mixed connective tissue disease
* Progressive Systemic Sclerosis
Clinical features:
* Arthritis, arthalgia and fever are the most common trio of presenting symptoms.
* Skin lesions and painful oral or naso pharyngeal ulcers may also be found but are less common.
* Cardio pulmonary features like pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, pleurisy, fibrosing alveolitis and acute shrinking lung syndrome may also be found.
* Renal disease like neprotic syndrome and renal failure are all the worse kind of effects with a very poor prognosis.
* CNS disturbances like Epilepsy, severe depression, dementia, hemiplegia, chore, neuropathy etc.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Autoimmune Disease Lupus
Autoimmune Disease Lupus
Lupus, short form for systemic lupus erythematosus or simply SLE, is an autoimmune disease meaning the cells of the body and tissues are attacked by the body's immune system. The disease affects the skin, joints, lungs, kidneys, nervous system, and heart, among other organs of the body. Autoimmune disease lupus is 10 times more prevalent in women than in men and while it can develop at any age, the onset generally occurs between ages 18 and 45.
The manifestation of autoimmune disease lupus varies significantly, making it difficult to diagnose especially at the early stages of infection. It isn't uncommon for lupus symptoms to resemble those of other types of rheumatic and arthritis diseases. Some of the unique symptoms of autoimmune lupus that can not be mistaken however include the characteristic butterfly rash known as malar rash that affects the checks and the nose., hair loss, nephritis, arthritis, fatigue among others.
Other early symptoms of autoimmune disease lupus can include photosensitivity, joint pains, vulnerability to viruses and other infections, unexplained swollen glands, conditions like pleurisy, patients may feel depressed, which may worsen in adverse weather conditions. Seizures, hallucinations, severe confusion, mouth sores are few of the less common, but still noteworthy symptoms of autoimmune disease lupus.
There are Several types of lupus that exist today i.e. Discoid lupus, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, Neonatal lupus, and Drug-induced lupus. The causes of autoimmune disease lupus are yet to be known, but being an autoimmune disease, the reason why the immune system malfunctions cannot be understood well but as in the case of other autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, etc, it is suspected to involve both environmental and genetic factors.
Because of the varying symptoms and unique manifestations of the same, it is always advisable to explain to the doctor all the symptoms you might have if you suspect you might be suffering from lupus. Diagnosis of autoimmune disease lupus is complicated based on the ways in which the condition first manifests itself. There is no single test that doctors use to diagnose autoimmune disease lupus, but the diagnosis will be determined by a number of factors such as blood tests, clinical symptoms and the patient's medical history.
Some people react positively to treatment upon diagnosis although still others will experience different levels of complications. Every individual is different, and the disease can change its manifestation as it progresses.
Lupus, short form for systemic lupus erythematosus or simply SLE, is an autoimmune disease meaning the cells of the body and tissues are attacked by the body's immune system. The disease affects the skin, joints, lungs, kidneys, nervous system, and heart, among other organs of the body. Autoimmune disease lupus is 10 times more prevalent in women than in men and while it can develop at any age, the onset generally occurs between ages 18 and 45.
The manifestation of autoimmune disease lupus varies significantly, making it difficult to diagnose especially at the early stages of infection. It isn't uncommon for lupus symptoms to resemble those of other types of rheumatic and arthritis diseases. Some of the unique symptoms of autoimmune lupus that can not be mistaken however include the characteristic butterfly rash known as malar rash that affects the checks and the nose., hair loss, nephritis, arthritis, fatigue among others.
Other early symptoms of autoimmune disease lupus can include photosensitivity, joint pains, vulnerability to viruses and other infections, unexplained swollen glands, conditions like pleurisy, patients may feel depressed, which may worsen in adverse weather conditions. Seizures, hallucinations, severe confusion, mouth sores are few of the less common, but still noteworthy symptoms of autoimmune disease lupus.
There are Several types of lupus that exist today i.e. Discoid lupus, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, Neonatal lupus, and Drug-induced lupus. The causes of autoimmune disease lupus are yet to be known, but being an autoimmune disease, the reason why the immune system malfunctions cannot be understood well but as in the case of other autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, etc, it is suspected to involve both environmental and genetic factors.
Because of the varying symptoms and unique manifestations of the same, it is always advisable to explain to the doctor all the symptoms you might have if you suspect you might be suffering from lupus. Diagnosis of autoimmune disease lupus is complicated based on the ways in which the condition first manifests itself. There is no single test that doctors use to diagnose autoimmune disease lupus, but the diagnosis will be determined by a number of factors such as blood tests, clinical symptoms and the patient's medical history.
Some people react positively to treatment upon diagnosis although still others will experience different levels of complications. Every individual is different, and the disease can change its manifestation as it progresses.
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