13 symptoms of lupus that are dangerous to ignore

What is lupus

Lupus Lupus - Symptoms and causes - is a systemic autoimmune disease. In other words, a disease in which your immunity goes crazy and begins to attack your own organs and tissues. Many body systems are affected, including joints, skin, blood cells, brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and other vital organs.

This disease is a genius in disguise: its symptoms coincide with those of hundreds of other ailments. If mistaken and mistaken for something else, lupus can kill quickly enough.

Lupus is one of the 20 most common causes of death among women aged 5–64 years by Lupus facts and statistics.

On the other hand, if you recognize lupus in time, you can learn to live with it. And even for a long time.

Where does lupus come from?

Science has not yet figured out this question. There are only assumptions. Perhaps we are talking about a certain genetic defect of immunity, which sharply exacerbates when the body encounters an infection, even a common ARVI.

In addition to infections, triggers for lupus are often:

Long exposure to the sun, resulting from ultraviolet burns of the skin.
Taking certain medications. These include some medicines for high blood pressure, anticonvulsants, and antibiotics.
Strong emotional experiences.

Try to avoid these factors whenever possible.

Why lupus is dangerous

When the immune system attacks an organ, it becomes inflamed. A side effect of this is swelling and pain. But the painful sensations are just flowers. Berries are much more unpleasant. Here's how different organs are affected if they are affected by lupus:

Kidneys. The disease can seriously damage them. Renal failure is perhaps the main cause of death in people diagnosed with lupus.
Brain and Central Nervous System. If the brain is affected by lupus, a person may experience unexplained bouts of dizziness, headache. His behavior changes, visual impairments occur, convulsions and even strokes may occur. Many people with this form of lupus have problems remembering and expressing their thoughts.
Blood and blood vessels. Lupus can alter blood clotting, leading to anemia and increased bleeding. Sometimes, against the background of the disease, inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis) occurs.
Lungs. Lupus increases the risk of developing inflammation of the lining of the chest cavity (pleurisy). This can make breathing difficult. It is also possible bleeding in the lungs and frequent pneumonia.
Heart. Lupus can cause inflammation of the heart muscle, arteries, or heart membrane (pericarditis). The risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks also increases significantly.

As it is clear from the list, it is not so much lupus that kills as the complications it causes. Therefore, it is extremely important to detect in time that the body has begun to attack itself, and not to let the process go too far.

What are the symptoms of lupus

Signs depend on which system of the body is affected by the autoimmune process. Therefore, they are often fundamentally different. However, some general points can still be highlighted. This is what the Common Symptoms of Lupus is doing with lupus in most cases.

Unmotivated fatigue. Sometimes strong. You don't feel rested even after a good night's sleep or vacation.
Headache.
Memory impairment.
Joint stiffness and pain.
Chronic anemia. Different types: low red blood cell count, hemoglobin, or total blood volume.
Fever. The temperature reaches 37.7 ° C and above, although at first glance there are no prerequisites for this, for example, a cold.
Increased swelling. Most often, swelling occurs on the legs (particularly feet), arms, or under the eyes.
Whitening or blue fingers during stress or exposure to cold.
Shortness of breath, shortness of breath, sometimes chest pain.
Hair loss.
Dry eyes.
Light sensitivity. A person almost instantly burns (gets skin irritation) when exposed to the sun.
A butterfly-shaped rash that appears on the cheeks and bridge of the nose and becomes more visible after exposure to sunlight. Also, rashes can appear on other parts of the body.

The latter symptom is the most obvious sign of lupus. Others may be associated with dozens of other diseases. But if you observe any of them, and even more so several at once, be sure to consult a therapist.

How to identify lupus

The doctor will conduct an examination and, if necessary, will offer Lupus - Diagnosis and Treatment to do the following tests:

General blood analysis. Helps to establish the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, as well as the level of hemoglobin. The results may indicate that you have anemia - one of the common signs of systemic illness. Low white blood cell or platelet counts are also sometimes seen with lupus.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate analysis. This specific test allows you to establish how quickly red blood cells settle to the bottom of the tube within an hour. If the speed exceeds the norm, this may indicate the presence of a systemic disease.
Blood chemistry. It can help you assess the health of your kidneys and liver, which are common with lupus.
Analysis of urine. If protein or blood is found in it, this indicates kidney damage.
Anti-nuclear antibody test. If it is positive, then the immune system is on the alert. This suggests the potential presence of an autoimmune disease.
Chest X-ray. It will help determine the condition of the lungs.
Echocardiogram. Its purpose is to clarify the state of the heart.
Biopsy. For example, skin - it is relevant if lupus affects the skin. Also, depending on symptoms, a kidney or liver biopsy may be required.

Unfortunately, no single test can diagnose lupus unequivocally. The doctor can only suggest a diagnosis based on the totality of the patient's complaints, the results of the physical examination and analyzes. Therefore, it is extremely important to find a truly competent physician or be examined by several specialists.

How to treat lupus

There is no cure for lupus yet. Treatment is mostly symptomatic. Understanding what laws the disease develops, the doctor will suggest a therapy that will be most effective in a particular case. In addition, constant monitoring will help prevent negative scenarios.

The most commonly used drugs are:

OTC pain relievers. For example, based on ibuprofen. They help relieve pain, swelling, and fever associated with lupus. Occasionally, you may need stronger pain relievers, which are prescribed by your doctor.
Anti-malaria drugs. These medications affect the immune system and reduce the risk of flare-ups of lupus. They have side effects (up to damage to the retina), so antimalarial drugs can only be taken as directed by a physician.
Corticosteroids. Helps relieve inflammation. Often used to combat diseases affecting the kidneys and brain. They also have a serious side effect.
Immunosuppressants These medications suppress the overactive immune system.