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We do not know the cause of lupus! (YET)
A doctor should diagnose! Information given here is not
to be used for self-diagnoses it is only for informative purposes.
There is agreement that LUPUS is an autoimmune
disease!
The immune system is a
body's natural defense against disease. "Auto-" is from Greek, from autos, meaning self. Therefore, an autoimmune disease is one directed against your own body tissue and organs.
Under normal conditions, when harmful bacteria
invade the body, protective substances in the blood-the antibodies develop to fight off the bacteria. However, in lupus,
antibodies may be form even without the presence of foreign substances like bacteria. These antibodies called autoantibodies
attack many of the body's own tissues, causing inflammation and injury to body tissues and organs, which results in the symptoms,
which people with lupus experience.
The triggers for the chains of events, which
lead to this abnormal autoimmune reaction, are suppositions. Individuals with lupus must be aware of their own triggers
and alleviate or avoid them when possible.
Some studies suggest that certain people may
inherit a tendency toward lupus. A theory, this conclusion stems from the fact that cases of lupus may be more common
in a family in which one member already has SLE or another autoimmune disease. There
is no evidence that lupus is directly passed on, from mother to daughter, for example. Only around 10% of
people with lupus will have a close relative (parent or sibling) who already has or may develop lupus.
Some scientists think that perhaps a virus or
trauma may trigger the tendency to develop lupus and brings on symptoms of the disease.
The cause or causes lupus are just not known!
Lupus is NOT infectious, rare, or cancerous,
or HIV or AIDS.
Researchers do not know what causes lupus.
Many scientists believe there can be a genetic
predisposition to the disease and that environmental factors can play a role in triggering the disease.
Research has shown that infections, antibiotics,
ultraviolet light, extreme stress, certain drugs, and hormones can trigger Lupus.
- Hormonal factors may explain
why lupus occurs more frequently in females than in males.
There is no uniform pattern of symptoms at the
onset of lupus. Fever, weakness, fatigue, or weight loss may be among the first signs of illness. Symptoms are important. They may be myriad or progressive isolated incidents (which is where having a continuous medical history of a primary care physician and becomes important).
A skin rash may appear on the face, neck, or arms. When this rash involves the nose and cheeks, it is called a butterfly rash.
In people who are very sensitive to ultraviolet light, the rash may appear or get worse after exposure to the sun.
Sometimes fingers are unusually sensitive to
cold and turn blue. This color change is called Raynaud's Phenomenon. Another early sign of lupus may be joint pain in the
hands, wrists, elbows, knees or ankles. Although the joints may become red, warm or swollen, the development of deformities
is very uncommon. A feeling of stiffness in the joints and muscles upon awakening in the morning may accompany the joint pains,
or may even occur without joint pain.
Other common symptoms of the illness include
muscle aches, swollen glands, lack of appetite, low-grade temperature, hair loss, and nausea and vomiting. Frequently symptoms
can include inflammation of the lining of some body parts (for example, the heart and lungs) causing pain on breathing or
shortness of breath. Kidney problems commonly occur or edema, a swelling of the legs. There may be an increased tendency to
get infections or to bleed easily or develop anemia (a condition in which one type
of blood cell may be decreased in number, causing weakness and paleness, or even shortness of breath) Some people
with lupus may have an increased tendency to form blood clots.
Often people with lupus experience depression
or the inability to concentrate. Rapid changes in mood or abnormal behavior may occur. These changes may be due to the disease
itself, or they may be a reaction to the changes in appearance and energy caused by the disease. **
Approximately 1,500,000 Americans have a form
of the disease.
Lupus can affect men and women of all ages but
occurs 10 to 15 times more frequently among adult females than adult males.
Lupus develops most often between ages 15 and
44.
Lupus is two to three times more common among
African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans.
Only about a small percentage-only about 5% of
the children born to individuals with lupus will develop the illness.
**http://www.ivillage.com/topics/health/0,,230932,00.html
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PAIN
DEPRESSION
FATIGUE
These are often the main concerns of many people living with lupus.
Whether caused by the lupus,
the treatments or medications for symptoms.
Pain, Depression and Fatigue are major concerns!
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Lupus patients suffer from joint and muscle pains and aches. Often this is 'pain all over' or 'flu-like' symptoms.
Often very little to seen in the way of joint swelling. However, it is not just
the joints that are affected by aches and pains but the tendons and muscles as well even though there is usually no permanent
damage. For some fever can be a feature of the disease. Some people run a constant low-grade fever when their disease is active.
It is important to know your usual temperature if you have lupus. It can
help you and your rheumatologist decide if a fever is a feature of your lupus or if you have an infection.
A common but not well-understood feature of lupus is fatigue. Often a constant debilitating, unexplainable fatigue
can precede a lupus diagnosis by months.
Sometimes DEPRESSION simply attributed to 'being unwell' or having tiredness and pain. It is far more important
than this. Depression plays a central part in lupus as it does in any chronic
illness. Your depression needs addressing by your doctor or a mental health professional versed in treating patients with
chronic physical illness. While often, a return of depression that has responded
to mental health expertise and rheumatologic management is a telltale of a flare. A
return of a short period of depression may also be a “normal” part of learning to live with lupus.
Hair loss is often a feature of active lupus. Hair re growth is
often a long, very slow process with good disease management. Even before diagnosis,
the lupus patient may notice hair on the pillow but aches and pains in the arms and fingers may keep a sufferer from grooming
his or her hair well. A person with lupus may experience hair loss from almost
none to ragged patches.
We lupus suffers have a wide
variety of rashes! There is the sun or photosensitive rash, a butterfly rash across the nose and cheeks, on elbows, palms
and soles or the V-neck area or all the above. Our rashes could range from little discolorations, purpura or ‘blood
spots’ to blisters. One great thing about most rashes in lupus-they come and go.
Major features of lupus and a lupus flare are HEADACHES and DEPRESSION. Mentions of headaches/migraines
are often in the medical histories of a person with lupus as far back as their teens. There
are varieties of causes of headaches in systemic lupus. Many lupus suffers also develop allergies they never had before. Always check with your rheumatologist before hand about what OTC (over the counter)
medications can be taken and in what strength to avoid problems with your Lupus medication.
Many times a prescription headache or allergy remedy is necessary. The
return of depression is often a sure sign that lupus is flaring.
Every
organ in the body of someone with Systemic lupus erythematosus can be affected at one time or another. At times one may suffer with irritation of the eyes, mouth ulcers, chest
pain (pleurisy for example), weight loss and ankle swelling. You may have Irritable Bowel Syndrome,
thyroid problems or ailments not even mentioned. Nevertheless, you need to diligent
in learning how your body is affected and vigilant, what you may want to shrug off as lupus symptom may be something grievous.
Many
symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) mimic those of other illnesses.
Lupus
can be a difficult disease to diagnose. Diagnosis is usual after a careful review of three
factors:
1. CURRENT SYMPTOMS
2. ENTIRE MEDICAL
HISTORY
3. ANALYSIS of
the RESULTS obtained in LABORATORY and SPECIALIZED TESTS.
A diagnosis of lupus is made on clinical grounds. In many patients, especially
those without the classical rashes, diagnosis is missed or unclear. This is particularly true with more 'vague' symptoms such
as fatigue, depression or headaches. Often patients think, they have lupus but the rheumatologist or doctor does not find
necessary criteria. Often a person has an overlap of connective tissue disorders with high antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) and
antibodies to ribonucleoprotein (anti-RNP) detectable. Very often, these patients have CTD-Connective Tissue Disease or MCTD-Mixed
Connective Tissue Disease versus SLE. Any individual relative or offspring of
any individual with lupus or in whom lupus is suspected should have simple blood tests performed. Only a qualified medical
professional-usually a rheumatologist should make a diagnosis of lupus.
Many tests that are more specialized are required to look for organ involvement. These can
include echocardiograms, brain scans, bone scans, kidney scans and/or a kidney biopsy. After diagnostic tests, most lupus
patients on medication have only routine blood and urine test. From these analyses, a rheumatologist will have a broad picture
of the degree of lupus activity and medication effectiveness.
Testing
urine is vital in lupus patients. Precise urine tests are preformed on a MSU (mid-stream urine) a sample of urine is sent
to the laboratory for microscopic analysis). The presence of white cells, red cells or clumps of cells (casts) is recorded
- all possible signs of kidney disease-then tested for infection.
The physician usually requests a full blood count and biochemistry. The blood count in lupus can show low white
cells, low red cells and low platelet counts. Biochemical tests are important, especially those which show any evidence of
kidney disease.
Lupus blood tests use a small amount of blood and are extremely sensitive. There are usually
five major blood tests carried out on the blood sample.
1.
Antinuclear antibody (ANA)
A 'screening
test' it is NOT specific for lupus but because of its simplicity is a useful first step in diagnosis.
2.
DNA
antibodies
A test for lupus. For some reason the presence of antibodies against double-stranded DNA is a hallmark
of lupus. This test is usually specific for this disease and rarely found in other conditions. Strongly positive anti-DNA
antibody tests provide almost total proof of the diagnosis. The level of the antibodies provides a rough guide to disease
activity and is used to monitor the ups-and-downs of the disease.
3. ENA
'Extractable Nuclear Antigens' applies to a group of antibodies,
which are found in lupus variants such as secondary Sjorgren's syndrome and mixed connective disease.The ESR(Erythrocyte sedimentation rate; Sed rate; Sedimentation rate- measures the distance red blood cells settle in unclotted blood) and the C-reactive protein (CRP- measures the concentration of protein in serum that indicates inflammation.)
blood tests are used as barometers of disease activity.
4.
Antiphospholipid antibodies
Patients with high levels of antiphospholipid antibodies have an increased tendency
to clotting in the veins and arteries, in pregnant women with these antibodies there is a risk of thrombosis of the placenta
leading to miscarriage. It is now recognized that many women with recurrent miscarriages have antiphospholipid antibodies
and that successful pregnancies are possible when the patient with is treated either with aspirin or with an anticoagulant.
5.
Complement
This term
is used for a group of proteins involved in the immune process. In active lupus, the levels of complement (usually measured
as C3 and C4) are low and these often provide a clue to the degree of disease activity.
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