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An autoimmune disorder, lupus makes your body’s immune system attack your own tissues and organs. May 10 is observed as World Lupus Day globally and the aim is to increase awareness about the disease. When people talk of lupus, they are mostly talking about Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), which is the most common type of lupus.
Lupus causes inflammation, which can impact different parts of the body, including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. According to the Mayo Clinic, some people are prone to developing lupus since birth and it can be triggered by infections, certain drugs or even sunlight. With treatment, lupus can be controlled, but like most autoimmune diseases, it can’t be cured fully.
World Lupus Day: Symptoms
While the symptoms may not be the same, here are some of them:
- Fatigue and fever (usually higher than 100 F)
- Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
- Skin rash. Often you can see a butterfly-shaped rash across your cheeks and nose.
- Skin lesions that get worse with sun exposure
- Ankle swelling and swollen joints
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Seizures
- Hair Loss
- Headaches, confusion and memory loss
What Causes Lupus?
There seems to be no clear reason why lupus happens but many experts believe that the auto-immune disorder is related to environmental, genetic, and hormonal factors.
Complications Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
SLE can have both short- and long-term effects on a person’s life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national public health agency of the United States. A person’s physical, mental, and social functioning can be limited by lupus. Since extreme fatigue is a symptom of lupus, it can affect all aspects of one’s life. Lupus can also lead to unhealthy weight loss.
Skin problems, hair loss and mouth sores are common and rashes can get worse due to sun exposure. Arthritis is very common in people who have lupus. According to WebMD, up to half of people who have lupus get kidney problems, which can be dangerous.
Blood count is also affected by lupus and people with this disease can have dangerously low numbers of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.
Heart and lung health can be impacted by lupus-led inflammation, while in rare cases, lupus can affect your brain leading to confusion, headache and seizures.
Also Read: Beware! Ultra-Processed Food Can Lower Lifespan And Raise Risk Of Early Death, Claims Study
World Lups Day: Treatment Of Lupus
While there is no treatment for lupus, the disease is managed by tackling the symptoms. As the CDC points out, the goal of the treatment is to prevent flares, reduce chances of organ damage and manage individual symptoms as and when they occur. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Corticosteroids, Antimalarial drugs, and immunosuppressive agents/chemotherapy, among others, are some of the drugs and treatment methods used, depending on the type and severity of lupus, says CDC.
(This article is meant for informational purposes only and must not be considered a substitute for advice provided by qualified medical professionals.)
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