Understanding Lupus disease

Healthline.com, describes Lupus as a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation throughout your body. An autoimmune disease is a condition in which your body’s own immune system is responsible for the inflammation and breakdown of its own cells. The inflammation seen in lupus can affect various organs and tissues in your body, including your:

• joints
• skin
• heart
• blood
• lung
• brain
• kidneys

Although many people with this disease experience a mild version of it,  Lupus can be severe and potentially life-threatening. It can cause permanent organ damage. Currently, there’s no known cure for lupus.

What are the symptoms of lupus?

Healthline.com explains that the symptoms of lupus vary according to the parts of your body affected. Symptoms can disappear suddenly. They can be permanent or flare up occasionally. Although no two cases of lupus are the same, the most common symptoms and signs include:

• a fever
• fatigue
• body aches
• joint pain
• rashes, including a butterfly rash on the face
• skin lesions
• shortness of breath
• chronic dry eyes
• chest pain
• headaches
• confusion
• memory loss

Some advanced symptoms of Lupus include kidney problems due to inflammation called nephritis. A person may experience high blood pressure, dark urine, and blood in the urine.

READ: 10 facts about breast cancer that could save your life

What are the causes of lupus?

While doctors don’t know exactly what causes Lupus, they think it may be a combination of many underlying factors, such as:

• Environment: Doctors have identified potential triggers like smoking, stress, and exposure to toxins like silica dust as potential lupus causes.
• Genetics: Having a family history of lupus may put a person at slightly higher risk for experiencing the condition.
• Hormones: Some studies suggest that abnormal hormone levels, such as increased estrogen levels, could contribute to lupus.
• Infections: Doctors are still studying the link between infections like cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr, or hepatitis C and causes of lupus.
• Medications: Long-term use of certain medications, such as hydralazine (Apresoline), procainamide (Procanbid), and quinidine, have been linked with causing a form of lupus known as drug-induced lupus erythematosus.

It’s also possible that a person has experienced none of the known potential causes of Lupus listed here and yet has the condition.

Examples of risk factors for Lupus include:

• being a woman
• being between the ages of 15 and 44
• being a member of certain ethnic groups, such as African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American, Native American, or Pacific Islander
• Having a family history of Lupus

Having risk factors for Lupus doesn’t mean you will get it, but that you are at increased risk compared to those who don’t have risk factors.

VIDEO: Identify signs and symptoms of Raynaud’s disease

While Lupus can affect a person’s health, it doesn’t have to impact their quality of life. By focusing on their medications and wellness, a person can live as healthy a life as possible.

Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics. 
To receive news links via WhatsApp, send an invite to 061-876-3179
The Southlands Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?

Do you have more information pertaining to this story? 
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031-903-2341 and speak to a journalist.

(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)