What is lupus (SLE)?
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that may affect joints, skin, kidneys or any other part of your body. An auto-immune disease is whereby the body’s defence system reacts to the body’s own tissue. This disease is more common in females of childbearing age.
What are the symptoms of lupus?
Lupus patients usually have joint pain, fever and rash. Typical rash of lupus is located on the cheeks and nasal bridge and is called malar rash. This rash is photosensitive, that means it increases on sun exposure. Lupus patients gets other type of rash also. Apart from these manifestation patients with lupus can have a variety of manifestation pertaining to nervous system, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.
How is lupus diagnosed?
Symptoms of lupus are not specific and other disease can have similar signs and symptoms. Lupus is diagnosed by characteristic signs, symptoms and laboratory tests. Most commonly used laboratory test is ANA. ANA is positive in almost all the patients of lupus, however all the persons with positive ANA does not have lupus. Other blood tests are used to assess the severity and which organs are affected with the lupus.
How lupus is treated?
Treating lupus is complicated because of its different effects on different people. Treatment depends upon the severity and which organs are affected. Medications used in the treatment of lupus includes hydroxychloroquine, steroids, methotrexate, mycophenolate, azathioprine, rituximab and other immunosuppressants. Some patients may have less aggressive disease and can be managed by less potent medication while other patients may have aggressive disease and may need aggressive treatment. Lifestyle changes advised in the patient with lupus are to avoid sun exposure and smoking; and to take healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
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