The Effects Of Placebo Treatment On Patient Condition

When people are ill, the only thing they want is to feel better. The traditional way to achieve this in the western world was to attend a doctor and receive medication. However, more attention is now being paid to other forms of treatments. One of these is using the placebo effect as a treatment.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) also referred to lupus dates back to the middle ages and has made an explosion in the past 60 years. Even though more than 1.5 million Americans have lupus and 90% of lupus sufferers are women, between the ages of 15 to 44 (Lupus Research Institute), there is little awareness about the disease. 72% of Americans aged 18-34 have either not heard of the disease or know nothing about it (Medical News Today). However, researchers continue on working to have a better understanding of SLE factors, pathophysiology, current treatment and new prospects for treatment.

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)

Do you know that there is currently three types of lupus? Discoid lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus, and lupus like a disorder called destroyer made lupus. Discoid lupus remains limited to our skin and be present in the form of a rash that appears on your face, neck or scalp. The appearance of the rash may possibly be more outward on areas of the skin exposed to electromagnetic lighting. While close by stand many forms of lupus epidemics the most communal is elevated, incrusted and rosy nevertheless not irritated. SLE remains commonly extra plain than discoid lupus. Do you know Discoid lupus is a form of lupus that is be able to cause inflammation in your organs?On behalf of nearly half of our society, this can be to

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ autoimmune disorder that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. A large body of evidence has shown that African Americans experience the disease more severely than other racial-ethnic groups. We performed a systematic review in the PubMed and Medline Databases of articles published between January(?) 2000 – December 2014 to evaluate research focused on SLE in African Americans. Articles were classified according to their level of evidence. Our literature review reported a wide range of adverse outcomes in

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

Systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, systemic, autoimmune disease. This condition causes the body to mistaken its own tissues and organs as foreign bodies and begins attacking them causing continuing inflammation and pain. (Huether & McCance, 2012) The cause of SLE still remains unknown, but it is possible that is inherited as a complex trait or caused by environmental stimuli. (S) Anyone is at risk for Lupus, but is more common among women than men and is more prevalent of African Americans and Asians. (National Library of Medicine 2010, para 2) This condition can be difficult to diagnose, as a patient must present a number of the recognizable symptoms. Depending on the location that Lupus presents itself in the body, the symptoms

Imagine going to the doctor and being given medication to heal your pain. Now how would you feel if after taking the medication and feeling better you came to find out you were given a placebo? This may sound upsetting to some, however, “ a recent survey of U.S. internists and rheumatologists found that some 50% regular prescribe placebos.” A placebo is defined as a false treatment without any significant chemical properties or active ingredient. The use of placebos as a primary form of treatment with any pathology is not happening anytime soon, but their positive impact and usefulness in the medical field is becoming hard to deny. In the article, “The Magic of the Placebo”, author David Bjerklie attempts to explain the growing change in

Most know Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) as simply lupus. It is difficult to diagnose and treat but the symptoms can be mentally and physically devastating for any patient. Many may not realize the extent to which a person with SLE is affected on a day to day basis. It is important for healthcare professionals to understand the disease process, including the cause, signs, symptoms, and treatment of SLE. By understanding the aforementioned, healthcare professionals can assist with reporting signs and symptoms to the patient’s doctor to further reach a correct diagnosis, but to provide holistic care to the patient. SLE is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease which means the body’s immune system fallaciously attacks healthy tissues and various organs, in this case, primarily the skin , joints, kidneys, and brain of both men and women.

Lupus is still somewhat of a mystery to physicians and scientists today. Historically, the disease has stumped medical professionals. The first known discovery and identification of lupus, specifically systemic lupus erythematosus, was made by Hippocrates, a Greek physician, around the time of 400 BC. The disease became more well known after many years, and by the late 1700’s, two British dermatologists Robert Willan and Thomas Bateman had started to “use the term “lupus” to describe a destructive skin disease preferentially affecting the face and the nose” (Konya, 2016). Then the modern era of lupus began in 1923, when one doctor discovered four cases with similar symptoms. The physical details of the disease became more specific and by 1967, doctors were able to find a way to test for the antibodies that were associated with the disease. In the past, people thought the symptoms of lupus resembled a wolf bite, and some theorized the skin swelling and color changing was caused by werewolves. This theory has since been proven wrong, clearly. Because of this theory though, some people with the disease may have been wrongfully mistreated in the past. Today, lupus is a disease that allows people to receive help from the government under disability status. People with Lupus are not mistreated and in most places, are even protected by disability discrimination acts.

Like lightning or tiger stripes, no two diagnoses of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus are exactly alike. Some signs and symptoms might be mild, while others could be more severe, occurring suddenly or possibly developing slowly over time1. Cases of SLE could be a permanent fixture in an individual’s life, or could be temporary, decreasing in occurrence or symptoms in women during and after menopause1. Fatigue is one of the more common signs and symptoms in close to 80% of the cases reported, which in turn leads to decreased physical activity and subsequently a lessened ability to execute activities of daily living because of the decline of isometric strenght2,4. Because of the fatigue and having “lower dynamic muscle strength”, impeded career opportunities, a lessened quality of life, and capabilities of a low functional performance, many patients find

of these indices are valid, reliable, and comparable. Some of them are easy to incorporate into

Lupus also known as Lupus Erythematosus is a long standing autoimmune disease. In an autoimmune disease the body immune system attacks itself. The inflammation that has develop by these attacks causes damage to the bodies tissue and organ. The frequently affected bodies tissue and organ are the brain, joints, skin, kidney, heart, lung, and blood vessel. Nevertheless, this disease is difficult to assess due to the widespread of affected age groups, ethnics, gender geography area and socioeconomic differences researcher and scientists cannot determine its origin. There is different form of lupus and the most common is SLE or systemic Lupus Erythematosus which affect many parts of the body, Discoid lupus erythematosus that causes skin rashes that doesn’t go away, Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus causes skin sores on parts of the body that are exposed to sun, Drug

Lupus tears families apart, ruins lives, and brings pain to the affected. “[SLE] is a multisystemic, autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, which affects multiple organ systems, including the central nervous system, or CNS” (Milovancevic et al.). This disease will literally turn a person’s body against itself. It leads to excruciating pain throughout the victim’s body, as if it were on fire. The optimistic side of this coin, however, is that many pharmacologists have created medications that can nullify the effects of most symptoms. These solutions include antimalarial drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-rheumatic drugs, immunosuppressives, a type of medication called Belimumab, and corticosteroids. While anyone can use the

The mind has often been referred to as the organ of consciousness. Daily functions such as thinking, breathing, and most any task we do rely heavily on use of this precious organ. However, through the use of placebos, it is becoming clear that the mind may have an even greater influence on our daily lives, influencing our perceptions of well- being. The placebo, which is Latin for to please, is a sugar-pill that is given under the guise of being a medication thought to treat an ailment. The use of placebos has shown us that the mind has tremendous potential to induce physiological changes in our body based solely on its perceptions. In example, as we swallow a sugar pill thinking