The Nuts and Bolts of Lupus

A chronic autoimmune disease, Lupus, can affect several areas of the body, most commonly: blood, joints, kidneys, and skin.

Autoimmune means that the body has an immune response to its own cells or tissues. The healthy body has an immune system that has the job of protecting the body against viruses and bacteria. When someone has an autoimmune disease, their body produces antibodies that instead of just targeting viruses and bacteria, the system also attacks healthy cells and tissues. The very cells and tissues that the immune system is suppose to protect.

The response of the auto-antibodies is to produce inflammation in the affected tissues, which can damage these tissues. The Latin word “lupus” actually means to “catch on fire” or become inflamed.

Common symptoms of the disease are:

• Abnormal blood clotting that could involve clotting too quickly or not at all
• Achy Joints
• Anemia
• Extreme fatigue that can be prolonged
• Hair loss
• Kidney issues
• Light sensitivity also known as photosensitivity
• Mouth or nose ulcers that are not painful
• Pain in chest
• Raynaud’s phenomenon (fingers turning white or blue in cold temperatures
• Seizures
• Skin rashes
• Swollen joints

The symptoms will vary from one patient to another. There is no cure for Lupus; it is a disease that requires management over a lifetime. A patient manages the disease by treating the symptoms, when they experience them. The treatment will lessen the symptoms of Lupus, help to restore more normal daily functionality and lessen any potential complication from the disease.

Patients seek medical care also when experiencing a loss of function within the body part or outside of it, or even both ways. The diagnosing physician will refer the patient to any specialist that may be required, based on symptoms.

Specialists may include:

• Cardiologist – for heart involvement
• Dermatologist – for skin rashes
• Nephrologist – when damaged to kidneys has been detected
• Neurologist – for nervous system involvement
• Obstetrician and or perinatologist – for those who are pregnant
• Rheumatologist – for those with musculoskeletal or muscular tissue damage

Physicians may prescribe different medicines to relieve pain, reduce fever and swelling and to suppress the patient’s overactive immune system.

Statistics:

An estimate has been made that 1.5 million Americans have Lupus; this number may even be higher than estimated, because of undiagnosed cases. In America, it is more prevalent for African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans to be diagnosed with the disease. On average, the diagnosis is made between the ages of 15 and 45.

Lupus can be a mild experience for the person, who has it, or it may become something serious and even life-threatening problems can arise. As much as 16,000 new cases of Lupus are discovered every year. There are cases of Lupus all over the world, approximately as much as 5 million.

Although Lupus is known as a disease that strikes females, it is rare to see, but men can contract Lupus, too. Lupus is not just an adult disease; children can also have Lupus.

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