Lupus is an chronic autoimmune disorder with no identified cause or causes. For those unfamiliar with the medical condition, it is somewhat similar to multiple sclerosis in that it is an autoimmune disorder, but instead of nerve damage, lupus primarily impacts on the joints, skin, blood, and kidneys, according to the Lupus Foundation of America.
What Does Lupus Do To the Body?
Lupus impairs the body’s reaction to threats. Basically, the white blood cells are unable to distinguish between antigens like bacteria, viruses and toxins from healthy cells. The result is that the body attacks healthy cells and tissues or ignores problems that a properly functioning body system would self-correct.
Someone with lupus has an overactive immune system which can attack healthy tissue around joints, for example, causing inflammation and pain. There is no problem with the joint, but the body is attacking itself. On the flip side, the body may not recognize and begin to repair a scratch or scrape, leading to a serious infection from a seemingly minor injury.
How Serious is Lupus?
Lupus can range from quite mild to very serious. Some individuals have minor flares now and then and generally live a normal life while others may have major organ involvement resulting in death. More often, patients fall in a mid range with periods of disease activity and then periods of remission.
What are the Signs of Lupus?
Lupus is often called the “great imitator” because it impacts different people in different ways. In addition, it is possible to get a false negative or a false positive on the ANA blood test which is used to test for the disease. It is also a slow developing disease in many cases with symptoms coming and going (periods or activity and remission). In fact, it can take years to get a correct diagnosis.
Common symptoms of lupus include:
- joint pain
- fatigue
- fever (usually low grade)
- chest pain
- swollen glands
- confusion (“lupus fog”)
- sensitivity to sunlight
- malar rash (facial sunburn looking rash in the shape of a butterfly across the cheeks)
There are a host of other symptoms that have been associated with lupus. These can range from blood in the urine or mouth sores to swallowing difficulties and visual disturbances and other lupus symptoms as listed at eMedicine Health.
In other words, lupus can cause a range of problems, so it is not a good idea to try to self diagnose. On the other hand, it is a good idea to track symptoms. Making notes on a calendar can be a good tool for the medical doctor to consider if lupus is considered a possibility.
Testing for Lupus
Medical doctors use an eleven question test when considering a diagnosis of lupus as posted by the Lupus Foundation of America. That is typically followed by an ANA blood test and a host of other tests as noted by the Mayo Clinic.
Sources:
EMedicineHealth.com, "Lupus Signs and Symptoms" (accessed June 6, 2010).
Lupus.org, "Could You Have Lupus?" (accessed June 5, 2010)
MayoClinic.com, "ANA Test" (accessed June 6, 2010).
MayoClinic.com, "Lupus: Tests and Diagnosis" (accessed June 2, 2010)
NLM.NIH.gov, "Autoimmune Disease," (accessed June 2, 2010)
The Lupus Book: A Guide for Patients and Their Families, Wallace, Daniel, Oxford University Press, January 15, 2000.
Cyndi Allison - Southern born and fed, Cyndi Allison is a college lecturer and newspaper advisor as well as being a freelance writer. She writes on ...
Join the Conversation