Lupus
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Lupus or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease. This autoimmune disease attacks the healthy systems in the body. The body fails to distinguish between healthy systems and disease, leading it to fight itself. It can affect any body system.
Causes
The causes for Lupus are unknown. However, there seem to be some predisposition factors that are common amongst those who are diagnosed with SLE.
Signs and Symptoms
As mentioned before, Lupus can attack any body system. These are a list of most common symptoms. There are several types of Lupus; your doctor will run several blood tests and possibly a biopsy to determine which type of the disease you have. It is important to note that this list in not all- inclusive, you may have only four symptoms when the disease is not flaring.
Treatment
Your doctor will decide what treatment is best for you. They may refer you to an immunologist or rheumatologist to treat your condition. The disease symptoms are treated regularly by your physician, but Lupus is not a curable disease.
Flare-Ups
A flare up of Lupus can happen for many reasons. When a person’s immune system is compromised, they are susceptible to many communicable diseases, which may seem harmless to a healthy person. Common colds, flu, and children’s illnesses such as EBV (Epstein Barr Virus-mono) can become life threatening to a person with Lupus.
Other factors that may cause a flare up are an increase in stress internal or environmental can cause a flare up of the disease. Too much sun exposure, heat exhaustion, not keeping regular doctor visits to monitor the disease, and forgetting to take medication as directed.
Prognosis
The prognosis is good for patients with Lupus. However, like most diseases if a patient does not follow the instructions of their physician it can become a fatal disease. If you are in good health without major organ damage, you can expect to live a normal life. Emotional health is as important as physical health, maintaining a positive upbeat attitude about your disease will far better enhance your life than focusing on doom and gloom.
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