In the U.S. there are an estimated 300,000 people with lupus. Worldwide, the number climbs to 3 million. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the body's organs. Difficult to diagnose and incurable, lupus has symptoms that can come on slowly or quickly. They can be mild or severe. People with lupus experience intermittent flare-ups when symptoms worsen, followed by long periods of being symptom-free. Patients can go for many years without having a flare-up.
Symptoms
There are many lupus flare-up symptoms, which vary from person to person. Generally, they include the following:
Fatigue
Fever
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
Muscle pain
Malar, or a butterfly-shaped rash on the face over the cheeks and bridge of the nose
Skin lesions that can appear or get worse when exposed to the sun
Sores in the mouth
Reynaud's Phenomenon--Fingers and toes become cold and turn white or blue
Alopecia--Hair loss
Weight gain or loss
Dry eyes
Chest Pain
Shortness of breath
Easy bruising
Depression
Anxiety
Memory loss
Disordered thinking
Types
The three main types of lupus are systemic, discoid and drug-induced. With systemic lupus, two or more organs are attacked by the immune system, resulting in some, many or all of the symptoms. When the immune system attacks the skin itself (discoid lupus), common symptoms are rash, light sensitivity and, more rarely, facial lesions. Drug-induced lupus is a reaction to certain medications and usually disappears once the medication is stopped.
Causes
Research has been unable to determine exactly what causes lupus. It is believed that a combination of hereditary and environmental factors come into play. According to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, people can inherit a predisposition to lupus, and environmental triggers may cause flare-ups; but not everyone who inherits the predisposition experiences lupus. Only about 2% of children born of mothers with lupus get the disease. Besides genetics, other contributors can be stress, drugs, ultraviolet light, hormones and infection.
Diagnosis
Lupus is a complicated disease that can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and scleroderma. Testing can be inconclusive and, according to FAQs.org, the most dependable tests are incorrect 20% to 30%of the time. Physicians usually rely on observation of symptoms and blood tests that determine antibody, immune cell, and red and white blood cell levels to make a diagnosis.
Treatment
Treatment plans vary, depending on how serious the case is and the symptoms experienced. Milder cases with rashes and mild to moderate pain may be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. When symptoms are more serious, steroids may be necessary to reduce inflammation and swelling. Immunosuppressant drugs, which cause the immune system to ramp down or shut down completely, may be used to treat the most serious symptoms.
Prevention
Patients can go for long stretches of time experiencing only the mildest symptoms or being completely symptom-free. Maintaining a low-stress lifestyle of healthy eating with regular exercise, plenty of rest, and minimal exposure to the sun can keep the worst symptoms at bay. Medications can help manage the disease long-term by reducing inflammation, a major problem with lupus, and quarterly visits to a physician is recommended.
Tags: immune system, with lupus, immune system attacks, system attacks