Systemic Lupus Essay

     In conclusion Lupus is definitely a very serious disease that we must learn more about. My great aunt had Lupus for over ten years and during that time suffered in ways no person should have to. She would fall down constantly and break bones. Near the end of her life, she would break bones doing stuff as simple as getting out of bed.

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown cause that can affect virtually any part of the body. The medical term for Lupus is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or better known as SLE. With Lupus there is a malfunction in some of the cells of the immune system. "In Lupus, the body overreacts to an unknown stimulus and makes to many antibodies, or proteins directed against body tissue. Thus, Lupus is called an autoimmune disease. ”#

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that attacks women between the ages of 15 and 40. It occurs less often in men than in women. The people affected by lupus vary depending on the country or region. In the US alone, the prevalence rate is highest among Asians of Hawaii, blacks of Caribbean origin, and Native Americans of the Sioux, Arapahoe, and Crow tribes. Lupus is a disease that affects the immune system. We can think of the immune system as an army within the body with hundreds of defenders (known as antibodies). They defend the body from attack by germs and viruses. In lupus, however, the immune system becomes overactive and creates antibodies that attack healthy tissues in the body, such as: the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart and brain.

One complication about lupus, is the flares that individuals will experience. People with this disease must have blood tests to predict these flares. When a lupus flare occurs, people will usually notice a return of the symptoms they experienced previously, but sometimes they will notice new symptoms. Some may be fever, swollen joints, increase in fatigue, rashes, sores or ulcers in the mouth or nose. A temperature over 100 degrees, not due to an infection, is often a helpful sign in identifying a flare. Other complications are it can cause insomnia, extreme fatigue, depression and poor body image. It also affects the central nervous system involvement which can cause memory and concentration difficulties. In some cases it can cause seizures. There are also risks in pregnancy such as stillbirth, or the mother may develop toxemia of pregnancy/preeclampsia which can cause things such as high-blood pressure, swelling and transient diabetes. Toxemia of pregnancy can be dangerous because it can cause spontaneous abortions or strokes. People with lupus also tend to get depressed because of the pain, fatigue and side effects from medication. The depression can be actually cause a flare in lupus in some cases.

Szuda, Stephanie “Health: Life with Lupus.” The Times. 11 Jan 2008. 19 Nov 2010. <Mywebtimes.com>

ANA: test for these autoantibodies (very general); DsDNA (+): Making antibodies to and attacking own DNA; Anti-Sm (+): these antibodies generally interfere with the cells metabolism and are responsible for the symptoms specifically seen with SLE. Here, they are specifically targeted at smooth muscle. CRP elevated: also indicates presence of inflammation, but is more specific towards disease activity; ESR elevated: indirectly indicates the activity of the disease and presence of inflammation; C3 and C4 (decreased): C3 and C4 usually attack the membranes of viruses and bacteria, but in the case of lupus, they attack the own body’s cells. When C3 and C4 suggest the disease is active

Lupus is a rare and crippleing disease. This disease is as rare as it is hard to undertand. Lupus being a not well known disease is hard to pinpoint. This disease causes insufferable pain and body problems. Such a terrible disease causes syptoms like swelling muscles, joint pains, general inflamations, organ failures, and overall fatigue. Lupus is an autoimmune disease ( AKA the autoimmune sytem attacking itself). This autoimmune disease is most common in youge woman in birth bearing age. With little known reason

For every case of Lupus there is always a different set of signs and symptoms. “ No two cases of Lupus are ever the same. Symptoms can have a very wide range.” (Mayo Clinic Staff)

Lupus is an autoimmune disease where your own immune system attacks not only pathogens, but your own healthy tissue. It is one of the more severe autoimmune diseases and can seriously impair the life of the sufferer if left untreated, possibly leading to death.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease in which a person’s own immune system begins to recognize its own tissues and organs as foreign antigens which causes it to attack and injure those targeted structures (Perspectives 14). Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) causes coin-shaped lesions to appear on the skin and does not affect any other system other than the integumentary (Perspectives 23). As stated on the Mayo Clinic website the etiology of the disease is idiopathic, but it is believed that environmental factors and inherited genetic code may contribute to the formation of lupus. Lupus can also be triggered by sunlight, infections, and medications such as anti-seizure and hypertension prescriptions (Mayo Clinic). Iatrogenic cases of the disease often have their symptoms reduced or eradicated after stopping those medications (Mayo Clinic). Diagnosis of the disease is based upon criteria set in place by the American College of Rheumatology as lupus often affects the muscle and joints (Lupus.org). The list is comprised of eleven common signs and symptoms that have been observed by rheumatologists. They are: Malar or

Systemic Lupus Erythematous will affect people in different ways. The joints, lungs, kidneys, blood, the heart affected are the worst affect Systemic, .Lupus Erythematous can damage a person that have it. The type of lupus is also often categorized by periods of flare when the disease is living and periods of decrease when the disease is hidden. The signs and symptoms range from rashes on the cheeks, Ulcers in your mouth, red palms and hands, joint pain, joint redness, swelling of the joints, their face and legs become very swollen, the shortness of breath, rapid or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, hair loss, swelling of lymph glands, protein in the urine, increase sensitivity to the sun and last but not least mental changes. The people that have lupus in the blood will be affect because they may start developing anemia, leukopenia which is a decreasing number of white blood cells, or thrombocytopenia which is a decreasing in the number of platelets in the blood, which assist in clotting. A lot of people with the disease lupus that on autoantibody called antiphospholipid antibodies have an increased risk of blood clots. The people that have lupus in the heart are at risk because of the inflammation can occur in the heart itself or the membrane that surrounds itself (pericarditis), causing chest pain or other symptoms. The disease lupus have endocarditis which can damage the heart

Lupus is known as “the cruel mystery” in the world of disease/medicine. 1.5 million Americans are currently diagnosed with Lupus, with the number possibly being a lot higher since it is one of the most difficult diseases to diagnose in the WORLD (5 Million some form of Lupus)

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease marked by its effect on various parts of the body, including the joints, skin, blood, and kidneys. It is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks its own cells and tissues, resulting in pain, inflammation, and often damage to organs. Lupus involves the immune system. The immune system makes antibodies that work to protect the body against foreign substances like viruses and bacteria. Such foreign bodies are called antigens. When a person has lupus, his or her body is unable to determine the difference between antigens and the individual's cells and body tissues. As such, the immune system creates antibodies against the individual's own tissues. These antibodies are called autoantibodies. Depending on the type of lupus, a wide range of symptoms may be experienced, from rashes, hair loss, and achy, swollen joints to fever, anemia, and abnormal blood clotting. Though the disease can affect many parts of the body, individuals usually experience symptoms in only a few organs. There is no known cure for lupus. However,

Most lupus patients are followed very closely by many different types of physicians and specialist due to the multisystem organ involvement. These doctors may include but are not limited to Rheumatologist who specializes in diseases of the joints; there are also Nephrologists the kidney doctor, the Optometrist doctor for the eyes, the Neurologist for the brain and central nervous system, the Cardiologist for the heart and the Primary Care Physician. All of these doctors work together to manage S.L.E. It literally takes a team to help the patient manage and cope with the changes someone with lupus will undergo throughout the entire disease process.

Seems Lupus is getting disobedient ... It’s time to teach it some discipline. But, before that you have to bring it in your life.