Lupus - Information About Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease - the same as rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which attacks joint and joint tissues, but lupus is a disease which causes a patient's immune system to attack some organs and the cells of the body, which causes damage to the organs and cells.

Lupus can affect many different tissues and organs in the body. Lupus can be mild to severe, and can be life threatening to some patients, especially when vital organs, such as the kidneys are involved.

Affecting more women than men, and only very rarely affecting children, most patients will have their first flare up in the mid 20s to early 30s, and because lupus is a chronic disease, symptoms can be expected to worsen as the patient ages. However, lupus does actually have remission phases in which the patient will suffer minimal or even no lupus symptoms for periods of time, and then either will relapse or have another flare up. There is no way to track when a patient might go into remission and doctors don't know exactly what triggers a flare, but there are some indicators that seem to worsen lupus symptoms.

Symptoms

Lupus is difficult to diagnose, especially in the beginning, because it usually starts with very mild symptoms, that often seem to have no apparent cause, but they are symptoms that many other disorders or illnesses also claim as symptoms. The initial lupus symptoms are most often:

Fatigue - this is probably the most frequently complained about and common symptom in lupus patients.

Low grade fever

Muscle and joint pain not related to arthritis, overuse, or injury - this pain is probably the most bothersome symptom in lupus patients.

Because these symptoms are so common in anything from a cold or flu to cancer, it's difficult to diagnose lupus in the early stages, without the other symptoms that typically come later as the disease progresses. Some of the more advanced symptoms are:

Joint pain - lupus patients experience joint pain more severely and more commonly than arthritis suffers, and lupus arthritis is quite painful, sometimes debilitating, found on both sides of the body, and most commonly in the: hands, knees and wrists. Fortunately, lupus arthritis does not actually damage the joint.

Avascular necrosis - this is a side effect of the type of arthritis lupus causes. This condition is when the arthritis reduced the flow of blood to the joint and if this lasts long enough, the joint or the bone that is not receiving blood and oxygen through the blood dies. Additionally, when blood flow is reduced, muscles to do heal as well, can become weak and shaky, and can add to the already existing fatigue of a lupus patient.

Skin rashes - lupus rash and redness, particularly on the face, brown hormone type spots on the face, or red patches of dry or scaly skin in other places.

Hair loss - this is especially true if the skin rashes mentioned above affect the scalp. Some immunosuppressive medications can help prevent the hair loss symptom, and fortunately, after a flare up, any lost hair usually grows back.

Next, as the disease progresses, the symptoms listed above can all become worse, and then the serious symptoms can begin. These more serious symptoms are not as common, and don't happen as frequently as the ones listed above, but if not monitored, they can be very dangerous.

Lupus affects vital organs and body functions, including:

The kidneys - kidney inflammation and high protein levels

Heart and blood vessels - inflammation of the pericarditis holding the heart, and sometimes mimicking heart attack symptoms. Raynaud syndromes is also common among lupus patients, and is usually worsened by negative emotional events, pain, or coldness. Most lupus patients also have anemia and low platelet counts as well as low white blood cell counts. These conditions cause bruising, blood clots or failure for blood to clot properly, and many lupus patients may need to take anticoagulants to prevent potentially serious blood clot problems - including death.

Nervous System problems - some lupus patients may have spinal cord inflammation and this can cause temporary or even permanent paralysis. Other nervous system disorders can include seizures and strokes.

Psychiatric problems - depression is overwhelmingly common in lupus patients for multiple reasons. First, the attack of the central nervous system and the brain can cause a medical depression, but additionally, living with the symptoms of lupus, such as constant pain and fatigue, can lead to a constant mild depression. Some of the medications used to treat lupus also list depression as a potential side effect.

Lungs - this is probably the most common of the severe symptoms suffered by lupus patients. One source on lupus cited that at least 50% of all lupus patients have some form of lung disease, such as: pleurisy, chest pain, lung infection, clots in the lung, pneumonia.

Other problems - stomach pain, intestinal infection, additional organ problems due to low blood flow or clots, retinal problems in the eye.

Lupus is known as the "great imitator" or the "great imposter", because the symptoms are so diverse that it's not uncommon for a lupus patient to be diagnosed with other conditions first, and then, only after additional symptoms occur, the disease progresses or worsens, or the traditional treatment for the misdiagnosed disease fails to work, does the lupus patient actually get tested for lupus.

There is no definitive clinical test for lupus, so the best guideline for a true diagnosis is to first rule out all other possible causes, including heart disease, lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, flu, pneumonia, and a host of viral infections. A positive ANA test is also a good indication of lupus. However, there are many lupus patients who never test positive on an ANA test and many perfectly healthy individuals who will test positive.

As you can see from the symptoms, inflammation is the biggest concern for lupus patients, because it is the inflammation that causes most of the symptoms: inflammation of the lungs, spine, brain, heart, joints, etc. To counter the inflammation, many lupus patients are prescribed a certain type of steroid, which has a host of its own side effects too.

If you think you or a loved one may have lupus, it is important the patient see a doctor immediately. Diagnosis lupus may take some time, because of the remission and flare up cycles, and the fact that each flare up may affect a different part of the body. Seeing a health care practitioner regularly is crucial for a lupus patient, and for many lupus patients, medication and treatment can help them lead a mostly normal life.

Lupus patients, however, should be careful with spending too much time in the sun, because this can worsen skin rashes and discoloration and hair loss; should try to alleviate emotional distractions and stress, because many lupus patients report a correlation between flare ups and emotional stress; sleep at least 6-8 hours per night/day to help counter the fatigue; and be careful of taking too many over the counter painkillers, such as ibuprofen, to alleviate pain, because that makes the kidneys work extra hard.

Your physician is best equipped to help you come up with a treatment and care plan that best suits your lifestyle and symptoms.