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Lupus is a hard to diagnose autoimmune disease, that affects mostly women of child bearing years. This post will address the facts about Lupus - What is it? How is it diagnosed? What are the symptoms? Then you can read about several women who are living with Lupus, and blogging about it.
What is Lupus?
About Lupus - Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Normally the body's immune system makes proteins called antibodies, to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens.
In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself.
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems, including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart and lungs.
Lupus occurs more frequently in women than it does in men, though it isn't clear why. Four types of lupus exist — systemic lupus erythematosus, discoid lupus erythematosus, drug-induced lupus erythematosus and neonatal lupus. Of these, systemic lupus erythematosus is the most common and serious form of lupus.
The outlook for people with lupus was once grim, but diagnosis and treatment of lupus has improved considerably. With treatment, most people with lupus can lead active lives.
From WomensHealth.gov - What are the symptoms of lupus?
The signs of lupus differ from person to person. Some people have just a few symptoms; others have more. Lupus symptoms also tend to come and go. Lupus is a disease of flares (the symptoms worsen and you feel ill) and remissions (the symptoms improve and you feel better).
Common signs of lupus are:
* painful or swollen joints
* fever with no known cause
* feeling very tired
* skin rashes
* anemia (uh-NEE-me-uh) (too few red blood cells)
* trouble thinking, memory problems, confusion
* kidney problems with no known cause
* chest pain when taking a deep breath
* butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks
* sun or light sensitivity
* hair lossLess common symptoms include:
* blood clots
* purple or pale fingers or toes from cold or stress
* seizures
* sores in the mouth or nose
* severe headache
* dizzy spells
* "seeing things", not able to judge reality
* feeling sad
* strokes
Lupus is an autoimmune disease affecting mostly women and causing various effects throughout different parts of the body. Its severity can range from very mild to extremely serious depending on which body organs are afflicted.
Lupus is difficult to diagnose and often misdiagnosed unless there is a characteristic symptom such as the butterfly-shaped rash over the cheeks. There is no single definitive blood test for lupus and doctors have to make the diagnosis based on a variety of symptoms and diagnostic tests. Lupus is one of a group of conditions with vague symptoms such as fatigue or malaise, and may need to be distinguished from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, depression, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, or various other conditions. If the main symptoms are joint symptoms, then various other causes of arthritis need to be considered.
Chantelle was having a rough morning. Her hands were so stiff that she could barely dial the combination on her locker. Then she couldn't move her fingers well enough to play her clarinet. It seemed that ever since marching band practice had started in the early summer, her hands and feet felt sore in the mornings. She was also tired all the time, and no matter how much she rested, she still felt sleepy and achy all over.
Chantelle told her doctor about her achy hands and feet and how she felt tired all the time. The doctor sent her for blood tests. A few days later, the doctor called and told Chantelle's dad that she might have lupus.
This is Lupus...
Here are some courageous women who are blogging with Lupus...
Basically this is meant as a way for me to express my thoughts about being a 27 year-old woman living with Lupus. I've had this disease for 11 years now and more than anything else I'd like to be viewed as someone without a disease. I
