Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Treatment

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Lupus

• Lupus is a systematic autoimmune disease which
  affects the bodys tissues and organs by your
  own immune system thinking that they are foreign.
  Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that
  affects various parts of the body including
  joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart,
  and lungs. Lupus is also known as systemic lupus
  erythematosus or SLE. The exact cause of lupus
  is very difficult to diagnose, although its a
  combination of genes, hormones and environmental
  factors. It affects women between 18 and 40 years
  of age.
• Symptoms of lupus is unpredictable, a combination
  of medications and lifestyle changes can make
  the person lead a normal life. Lupus is a chronic
  inflammatory disease with many health risks like
  cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and
  stroke. There is a chance of developing
  atherosclerosis, mayocarditis and endocarditis,
  which can lead to heart murmurs.
• Today, doctors recognize the condition at early
  stages and there are many ways to manage this
  disease compare to earlier. Almost the success
  rate is more than 90.
• How immune system works
• Our immune system protects our body by producing
  antibodies which attack bacteria and viruses.
  However, people with lupus produce antibodies
  that attack their own tissues. These antibodies
  will cause pain, inflammation and also damage
  other parts of the body.
• Causes of Lupus
• Doctors dont know the exact reason behind lupus.
  They think that this autoimmune disease is
  caused due to genetics, hormones and environment.
  So if your parents have this disease, you may
  also likely to develop lupus. However, genes
  alone are not the reason to get lupus, it occurs
  due to many other factors which are not yet
  identified. Other factors which may trigger lupus
  are
• Exposure to sunlight, which is common cause of
  flare-ups.
• Long term medications or antibiotics may trigger
  lupus.
• Viral infections and stress

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• Hormone estrogen may be a reason for lupus
  because 9 out of 10 are women who are affected.
  Men and women both make estrogen, but women make
  more. But this doesnt conclude that estrogen
  alone causes lupus.

• Symptoms
• No two people with lupus have same symptoms. The
  symptoms may fluctuate between active periods
  (flares) and then minimal for sometime
  (remission). The signs and symptoms of lupus
  include
• Sun sensitive rashes on the face especially on
  nose and cheeks. It is called as butterfly rash.
• Joint pains, swelling, fever
• The painful inflammation in the joints, sometimes
  mistaken as rheumatoid arthritis.
• Chest pain, cough and breathing problems
• Dry eyes, headache, hair loss
• Fatigue and weight loss
• Raynauds phenomenon- fingers or toes turn white
  or blue when exposed to cold.
• Confusion and memory loss
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Bald patches or hair loss
• Recurrent miscarriages.
• Complications in organs SLE affects many organs
  of the body.
• Joint pain and stiffness This is an early
  symptom occurs almost to everyone with lupus.
• Skin changes Most of the people get butterfly
  rash. This lasts for few days and often comes
  back when exposed to sun.
• Kidneys Inflammation in kidney is common in
  people with lupus. Many people might not have
  even noticed it until the problem is advanced.
  Once it advances the person may have bloating,
  ankle swelling
• and damage to the glomeruli -that can prevent the
  kidneys from filtering waste from the
  bloodstream. Eventually if untreated kidney
  failure may happen.
• Digestive system The medications given for
  treating lupus may affect the digestive system.
  It may cause

Diagnosis Your doctor will consider the variety
of symptoms and review medical history and
perform a complete physical examination
including blood tests for anti DNA antibodies
which is the main reason for lupus. Skin and
kidney biopsies are taken to check the extent of
the disease, and also
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• to check the abnormalities in blood cells. This
  also helps the doctor in ruling out the diseases
  which have similar symptoms. Blood and urine
  tests are taken to diagnose lupus.
• Your doctor will carefully check if there is any
  early kidney disease, such as protein and other
  abnormalities in the urine. Lupus also usually
  accelerates atherosclerosis (hardening of the
  arteries). So your doctor may also monitor for
  risk issues like high blood pressure,
  cholesterol, and diabetes.
• Treatment and Prevention
• There is no permanent cure for SLE, the treatment
  will reduce the symptoms and limit damage to the
  vital organs. The medications will depend upon
  how severe the symptoms are.
• General medicines prescribed by doctor
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Oral corticosteroids to reduce inflammation.
• Antimalarial drugs- some medicines used to treat
  malaria are used to treat lupus also. They are
  used treat skin rashes, mouth sores, and joint
  pain etc.
• Immunosuppressive agents viz, cyclophosphamide,
  mycophenolate, azathioprine helps to control the
  activities of the immune system from attacking
  the bodies own organs and tissues.
• These medications also have few side effects, so
  carefully consult your doctor if you are allergic
  to any medicines.
• Prevention and lifestyle changes

You can take simple measures to prevent lupus
flares

• You may consult rheumatologist
• Sometimes lupus may trigger while pregnancy or it
  may get worse if you already have. In such a
  case, you need to consult both rheumatologist
  and obstetrician.
• Take rest and learn stress management methods
• Dental care is very important.
• Regular exercise is must to keep your bones
  strong
• Maintain good healthy diet.
• Avoid smoking and alcohol
• If you're taking corticosteroids and other
  immune-suppressing medications, report any signs
  of infection to your doctor.

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• Avoid exposure to direct sunlight always wear
  hats and sunglasses and wear long sleeved
  clothing. Use sunscreens with a sun protection
  factor.
• These medications also have few side effects, so
  carefully consult your doctor if you are allergic
  to any medicines.
• Conclusion
• Lupus is a complex disease and is considered as a
  long term serious issue. So the challenges
  living with lupus may lead to other health
  problems as well. To help yourself from this,
  its very important to follow proper medications
  and you need a strong and positive mind to fight
  this disease.