What Type of Disease Is Lupus?
Lupus is a disease of the autoimmune system. The bodies cells turn and attack each other. Lupus affects the organ systems, skin, joints and internal organs. Sufferers of this disease are often misdiagnosed because the symptoms are similar to other conditions. Often they are denied disability benefits due to the lack of proper diagnosis and an underestimation of the seriousness of the condition.
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Symptoms
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Chronic fatigue is a common complaint of lupus sufferers. This is also a symptom of depression. The physical cause of the fatigue is often hard to detect. The lupus sufferer is constantly tired and does not know why.
A butterfly-shaped rash forms on the face and other areas of the skin. Many times this is dismissed as acne or another skin condition.
Pain in the joints imitates that of arthritis but does not deform the bones in the same way. Tendons loosen from the bones causing weakness and discomfort.
According to Dr. Michelle Petri, M.D. with Johns Hopkins, "In lupus patients, we are often overlooking fibromyalgia. Thirty percent of my patients have fibromyalgia. It is a resetting of the pain thermostat in the brain." This can effect memory loss in the lupus patient.
Many people with lupus lose their hair.
Types
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As an autoimmune disease, lupus is not alone. Other autoimmune diseases are common and more readily diagnosed. Diabetes and thyroid conditions are also autoimmune diseases.
There are different types of lupus. Systemic lupus erythematosus affects joints and organs. A person with discoid lupus would be experimenting symptoms primarily on the skin. Those with sub-acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus show non-scarring skin lesions. Sometimes lupus is drug-induced. This type is called drug-induced lupus. Neonatal lupus is a disease that affects newborns
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Treatment
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Anti-inflamatory drugs like ibuprofen or plaquenil can be used to treat those with mild symptoms. This relieves joint pain and inflamation, fatigue and skin rashes.
For more severe symptoms, doctors may treat with high dose corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs in the case of severe organ complications. The side effects of these stronger drugs must be evaluated and decided between the doctor and the patient before treatment begins.
Extent
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Estimates range between 237,000 and 1.5 million people that have lupus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 70 percent of the cases are systemic. Half of those cases show a major organ affected.
Lupus is two to three times more prevalent among people of color, including African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans, according to the Lupus Foundation of America.
Warning
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Keeping hope during the fight against the disease can be challenging. Depression and discouragement are obstacles sufferers must overcome if they are to lead a normal life. With proper diagnosis and treatment the disease is now more manageable than in years past. Those with lupus have the chance to live long lives and enjoy many of the things others do if they seek treatment and keep hope.
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