Lupus Treatment in Warangal

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SLE (Lupus)
Lupus is a systematic autoimmune disease which
affects the bodys tissues and organs by your own
immune system thinking that they are foreign.
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that
affects various parts of the body including
joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart,
and lungs. Lupus is also known as systemic lupus
erythematosus or SLE. The exact cause of lupus is
very difficult to diagnose, although its a
combination of genes, hormones and environmental
factors. It affects women between 18 and 40 years
of age. Symptoms of lupus is unpredictable, a
combination of medications and lifestyle changes
can make the person lead a normal life. Lupus is
a chronic inflammatory disease with many health
risks like cardiovascular disease, kidney disease
and stroke. There is a chance of developing
atherosclerosis, mayocarditis and endocarditis,
which can lead to heart murmurs. Today, doctors
recognize the condition at early stages and there
are many ways to manage this disease compare to
earlier. Almost the success rate is more than 90.
How immune system works Our immune system
protects our body by producing antibodies which
attack bacteria and viruses. However, people with
lupus produce antibodies that attack their own
tissues. These antibodies will cause pain,
inflammation and also damage other parts of the
body.
Causes of Lupus Doctors dont know the exact
reason behind lupus. They think that this
autoimmune disease is caused due to genetics,
hormones and environment. So if your parents have
this disease, you may also likely to develop
lupus. However, genes alone are not the
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reason to get lupus, it occurs due to many other
factors which are not yet identified. Other
factors which may trigger lupus are Exposure
to sunlight, which is common cause of
flare-ups. Long term medications or
antibiotics may trigger lupus. Viral
infections and stress Hormone estrogen may
be a reason for lupus because 9 out of 10 are
women who are affected. Men and women both make
estrogen, but women make more. But this doesnt
conclude that estrogen alone causes lupus.
Symptoms
No two people with lupus have same symptoms. The
symptoms may fluctuate between active periods
(flares) and then minimal for sometime
(remission). The signs and symptoms of lupus
include Sun sensitive rashes on the face
especially on nose and cheeks. It is called as
butterfly rash. Joint pains, swelling,
fever The painful inflammation in the
joints, sometimes mistaken as rheumatoid
arthritis. Chest pain, cough and breathing
problems Dry eyes, headache, hair loss
Fatigue and weight loss Raynauds phenomenon-
fingers or toes turn white or blue when exposed
to cold. Confusion and memory loss
Enlarged lymph nodes Bald patches or hair
loss Recurrent miscarriages. Complications
in organs SLE affects many organs of the
body. Joint pain and stiffness This is an early
symptom occurs almost to everyone with
lupus. Skin changes Most of the people get
butterfly rash. This lasts for few days and often
comes back when exposed to sun. Kidneys
Inflammation in kidney is common in people with
lupus. Many people might not have even noticed it
until the problem is advanced. Once it advances
the person may have bloating, ankle swelling and
damage to the glomeruli -that can prevent the
kidneys from filtering waste from the
bloodstream. Eventually if untreated kidney
failure may happen. Digestive system The
medications given for treating lupus may affect
the digestive system. It may cause stomach pain,
or sometime stomach ulcers. Lungs Pain with
breathing and shortness of breath may
occur. Heart A variety of symptoms may develop
if lupus affects the heart or blood vessels such
as chest
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pain with exercise, pain in the chest due to
inflammation around the heart, shortness of
breath due to heart valve disease.
Diagnosis Your doctor will consider the variety
of symptoms and review medical history and
perform a complete physical examination including
blood tests for anti DNA antibodies which is the
main reason for lupus. Skin and kidney biopsies
are taken to check the extent of the disease, and
also to check the abnormalities in blood cells.
This also helps the doctor in ruling out the
diseases which have similar symptoms. Blood and
urine tests are taken to diagnose lupus. Your
doctor will carefully check if there is any early
kidney disease, such as protein and other
abnormalities in the urine. Lupus also usually
accelerates atherosclerosis (hardening of the
arteries). So your doctor may also monitor for
risk issues like high blood pressure,
cholesterol, and diabetes. Treatment and
Prevention There is no permanent cure for SLE,
the treatment will reduce the symptoms and limit
damage to the vital organs. The medications will
depend upon how severe the symptoms are. General
medicines prescribed by doctor
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Oral corticosteroids to reduce inflammation.
Antimalarial drugs- some medicines used to
treat malaria are used to treat lupus also. They
are used treat skin rashes, mouth sores, and
joint pain etc. Immunosuppressive agents
viz, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate,
azathioprine helps to control the activities of
the immune system from attacking the bodies own
organs and tissues. These medications also have
few side effects, so carefully consult your
doctor if you are allergic to any medicines.
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Prevention and lifestyle changes
You can take simple measures to prevent lupus
flares You may consult rheumatologist
Sometimes lupus may trigger while pregnancy or it
may get worse if you already have. In such a
case, you need to consult both rheumatologist and
obstetrician. Take rest and learn stress
management methods Dental care is very
important. Regular exercise is must to keep
your bones strong Maintain good healthy
diet. Avoid smoking and alcohol If
you're taking corticosteroids and other
immune-suppressing medications, report any signs
of infection to your doctor. Avoid exposure
to direct sunlight -always wear hats and
sunglasses and wear long sleeved clothing. Use
sunscreens with a sun protection factor. These
medications also have few side effects, so
carefully consult your doctor if you are allergic
to any medicines. Conclusion Lupus is a complex
disease and is considered as a long term serious
issue. So the challenges living with lupus may
lead to other health problems as well. To help
yourself from this, its very important to follow
proper medications and you need a strong and
positive mind to fight this disease.