Learning about Systemic Lupus
This disease has a low rate of incidence on population, it has been proven that it affects on average to 250 people from a population of 100000. This rate of course may vary from one environment to another, given the different characteristics associated to each type of population.
Although lupus is an affection which is known from XII century, a specific cause for it is still unknown, however since lupus has been identified as an autoimmune condition, physicians are trying to find what could affect immune system in a way that lupus may emerge. Women tend to be more affected by this condition than men possibly because hormones have a high incidence in the emergence of this condition; it has been proved that contraceptives have a negative effect on a person affected by lupus, which could indicate that estrogen plays an important role on the development of the illness.
A possible hypothesis related to possible causes for lupus is that agents associated to genetics and environment may trigger the disease, provoking a reaction on the immune system cells generating in this way the production of antibodies to attack the own body cells. When immune system turns against the body leads to blood vessel abnormalities, then the disease progresses reaching levels on which immune system cells start attacking and destroying tissues of vital organs, if lupus is not controlled it can become lethal for the patient. Among the tissues that may be seriously damaged by lupus are joints and muscles tissues.
Lupus is a broad-spectrum disease, which means it can simulate a variety of health issues and problems on the same individual. Lupus can affect inner organs such as lungs, kidneys and heart; it can also be the source for psychiatric problems and other health issues like anemia, skin rashes and arthritis.
The symptomatology associated to lupus comprise many different manifestations, external symptoms include weight loss for no evident reason, chronic fatigue and a prolonged fever which is not related to any specific condition. Joint soreness especially on hands and fingers, elbows, feet and knees and muscle aching are also characteristic symptoms of lupus.
A skin lesion is very common on Systemic Lupus, it is called the “butterfly shaped erythema” which is a redness that appears on the face with the shape of a butterfly, wings expand over cheeks and what could be considered the body of the butterfly emerges over the nose. Skin becomes more sensitive to sun exposure and chemical reactions on patients with lupus, so it is highly recommended the use of sunscreens especially against ultraviolet rays A and B, and previous medical check before applying any chemical product on the skin.
Lungs membrane may be affected by lupus causing pericarditis, this affection produces pain on chest and sometimes also fever, in very rare cases lupus may cause serious heart or lung problems that may lead to a respiratory or cardiac failure.
Nephritis is another common suffering associated to lupus, which prevents the kidneys from dismissing waste residues from the body, or on the other hand it may provoke the elimination of nourishing elements like protein leading to swelling on legs and face.
Neurological complications associated to lupus are very frequent on patients affected by lupus, statistics have proven that fifty percent of patients are suffering with any kind of neurological disease; these conditions are very difficult to diagnose. Most common cases include headaches, depression and psychotic episodes while on the other hand is very rare to find and yet possible manifestations such as behavioral disorders and epilepsy.
Since lupus is produced for a malfunction of immune system, patient is very susceptible to suffer infections, which can be caused by environment but in some cases even the medicines employed on the treatment may be responsible for infections too.
Women fertility is not affected by lupus, but a woman with this condition will have more prone to have premature births or abortions, the tendency may increase on women with high quantities of antiphospholipid on their blood. The most dangerous complications caused by lupus during pregnancy take place only on its active stage and may be caused by nephritis or by the intake of medicines that may be harmful for the fetus. If none of these situations take place, then pregnancy will have a normal development, kids born from mother with lupus can have a perfectly normal life, the only difference is that they will be prone to suffer this disease in higher levels than kids born from healthy mothers.
When lupus is active it is recommended to use a birth control in order to prevent pregnancy, but methods used should not include oral contraceptives since due to the content of estrogens, they may trigger the disease.
Lupus is a disease with no cure; however symptoms and conditions caused by this disease can be controlled by means of treatments. The supply of immunosuppressive and corticosteroid may reduce the incidence of the disease on the individual and it will also prevent disease outbreak s. Although steroids may prevent an outbreak, their use is not recommended since they are triggers for diseases like diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
A person affected by lupus should avoid sun exposure as much as possible, in order to prevent complications caused by photosensitivity. In recent decades there have been major advances in diagnosis of lupus and treatment, although they may be no definitive cure for this illness, the survival rate has increased to a point on which ninety percent of population affected by lupus can live more than ten years and almost without any symptom.
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