Also known as lupus, this is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of several parts of the body such as the skin, joints, blood cells and the lungs. Lupus is often difficult to diagnose as it presents symptoms similar to other ailments. One of the common sign of lupus is the facial rash although not all cases exhibit this. As this is a complex disease, the affected individual usually requires consultation with a rheumatologist, a specialist who treats the rheumatic diseases.
Causes
The exact cause of this autoimmune disease is not completely known but is the result of problems with the immune system. The body’s natural defense is the immune system that detects the infectious agent in the body and sends antibodies to destroy it. Among individuals with this condition, the antibodies accidentally attack the healthy tissues and organs of the body. Research indicates that certain genetic mutations associated with the regulation of various functions of the immune system can make an individual more vulnerable to developing this condition. Some of the possible environmental factors that can also trigger this disorder include exposure to sunlight, certain infections such as Epstein-Barr virus and hormonal changes.
Symptoms
No two individuals with this condition present the same symptoms which can vary widely. The symptoms can be mild or severe and onset can be sudden or develop slowly. Most of the individuals with this disorder have episodes called flares when the symptoms become worse but improve with time. The symptoms are also based on the part of the body affected. Some of the common symptoms include fatigue, the butterfly-shaped rash that covers the cheeks, skin lesions that can become worse with sun exposure, chest pain, dry eyes, confusion, headaches, joint pain or stiffness, shortness of breath and memory loss. Some of the affected individuals also develop heart diseases, strokes and develop lung inflammation.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus can be difficult as the symptoms vary greatly among the affected individual that can also change over time. Hence the diagnosis of this condition is based on the various associated symptoms that are evident and with a number of blood tests. Some of the blood tests used to determine this condition include an anti-DNA test that detects the level of various types of antibodies in the blood, an anti-nuclear antibody test which also identifies certain antibodies and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate test that determine the presence of inflammation in the body. In addition, other diagnostic tests include a CT scan, an X-ray, MRI scan and an ultrasound to determine if other conditions such as the kidney problem have developed.
Treatment
There is no cure for lupus and the treatment is based on the type of symptoms. Some of the common treatment options include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling, corticosteroids to treat skin and arthritis symptoms, antimalarial medication to relieve some of the lupus symptoms and biologic drug which can benefit some of the cases.
References
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000435.htm
http://www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Lupus
http://www.lupusny.org/about-lupus
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lupus/basics/symptoms/con-20019676
