Lupus
Lupus, short for systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE, is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, and nervous system, as well as other organs of the body. Lupus is also considered an autoimmune disease. Common symptoms associated with lupus include:
Arthritis in multiple joints
Rashes including the characteristic butterfly-shaped rash over the nose and cheeks
Fever
Fatigue
Weight loss
Mouth sores or nose sores
Hair loss
Seizures or strokes
Mental issues
Low blood counts
Urinalysis showing poor kidney function
Chest pain or heartburn
Sun sensitivity
Lupus has other symptoms as well. Some symptoms develop gradually and overlap with symptoms of other conditions, making lupus difficult to diagnose.
There are at least five recognized types of lupus:
Systemic lupus erythematosus — as described previously, this is the type of lupus most often referred to when people speak of lupus
Discoid lupus erythematosus — chronic skin disorder characterized by red, raised rash which appears on the face and scalp typically, but may appear on other areas of the body and may cause scarring. Rash may last and may reoccur. Only a small percentage of people with discoid lupus develop systemic lupus erythematosus
Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus — skin lesions on body parts exposed to the sun that do not cause scarring
Drug-induced lupus — a type of lupus caused by medications. Several medications can cause drug-induced lupus, which has symptoms similar to SLE. Symptoms usually go away when the offending medication is completely stopped
Neonatal lupus — a rare form of lupus that can develop in newborn babies of women with systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, or even in women who have no disease
Diagnosing and Treating Lupus
A combination of clinical symptoms indicating lupus and blood tests are used to help diagnose lupus.
The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies suggests the possibility of future complications including miscarriage and blood clots.
The course of treatment prescribed for lupus depends on the individual patient's needs. The unpredictability of lupus can make it necessary to change the course of disease treatment at times. NSAIDs, corticosteroids, antimalarial drugs, immunosuppressants, and DMARDs are used to treat lupus.
Essential
Nearly all patients with lupus are positive for the antinuclear antibody test. More specific antibody tests, such as anti-double strand DNA (dsDNA) and anti-smith (Sm), are used to confirm the diagnosis of lupus. Complement levels are also useful in diagnosing and monitoring lupus.
Prevalence of Lupus
Lupus affects ten times more women than men. Lupus commonly develops between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, though younger or older people can develop the disease too. African Americans have a higher rate of lupus than other groups. There also appears to be a strong genetic connection. Studies have shown that lupus is more common in families where one family member already has lupus, according to the Arthritis Foundation. According to the CDC, a conservative estimate suggests that lupus affects about 239,000 people in the United States.
