There are lots of autoimmune disorders that affect people in today’s age and time. these conditions may cause some abnormal effects on the overall health. In fact, it may cause overactivity or low activity in the immune system. These conditions are no joke. It can be serious and fatal. One of these autoimmune diseases is lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune condition that can be mild or life-threatening. Furthermore, it affects a lot of people worldwide. In fact, there are around 5 million people all over the world that suffers from this condition. hence, it is very important to have a knowledge about the causes, symptoms, as well as the treatments for lupus.
Lupus: What is this condition?
Lupus is one of the most cryptic autoimmune diseases that affect many people. Formally speaking, lupus is known as Lupus erythematosus. Furthermore, this condition is often characterized by the immune system of the body, which attacks the healthy tissues and the cells of the body. there are roughly about 5 million people who are experiencing this condition all over the world.
What is so saddening about this condition is that there is still no known cure for it. Some simple treatments consist immunosuppressant drugs, these are capable of keeping the body from attacking itself.
Lupus is a condition that weakens the immune system. However, it makes it overly vulnerable to some other forms of illnesses. The cause of the condition is mainly of polymorphism of the genes, and there are dozens who have been linked to the disease. Furthermore, genetics may seem to play a big role in here. The same goes for the cultural heritage. Native Americans, Asians, and Africans appear to be more prone to the condition. there are actually four types of lupus, the drug-induced, neonatal, discoid, and systemic lupus.
Lupus: Types
Here are the four types of lupus:
- Drug-induced lupus: this is usually caused because of a reaction to some prescription drugs. The drugs may commonly be associated with hypertension or this type of lupus.
- Neonatal lupus: this occurs when a mother passes various autoantibodies to her baby in the womb. The rash may appear but will eventually fade after six months of being born.
- Discoid lupus: those who have this type of lupus may have rashes that appear on the scalp, neck, or in the face. This usually does not affect the internal organs.
- Systemic lupus: this is actually a more austere than that of discoid This is since it may affect even the internal organs.
Lupus: What causes it?
The main cause of lupus is not actually known yet. Furthermore, experts also believe that some people are born with specific genes that affect how the immune system functions. All of these people are more prone to the condition. Then many other things may trigger the attacks of lupus. These usually include some viral infections, including the virus, which causes the sunlight and mononucleosis.
Even though these things may trigger lupus, they may impact a person but not some other people.
Here are some of the factors that may increase the risk of lupus:
- Environment: the chemical, as well as viruses in the environment, may contribute to the risk of lupus.
- Genetics: the condition can be prevalent in families who have already experienced the condition in the past.
- Hormones: a certain imbalance in the hormones may cause lupus to develop. This especially happens to female than in the male.
- Biomarkers: these molecules that reflect a specific pathological or biological process may increase the risk of lupus.
Lupus: What are its symptoms?
Those whops have lupus may experience the following symptoms:
- Swollen glands
- Swelling in the legs or above the eyes
- Purple or pale fingers on the toes
- Unusual hair loss
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- A headache
- Fever
- Skin Rashes
- Pain or swelling of the joints
- Fatigue
Some clinical manifestations that may appear because of lupus:
- Arthritis
- Oral ulcers
- Rash
- Psychosis
- Seizures
- Anemia
- Photosensitivity
- Leukopenia
- Myocarditis
- Thrombocytopenia
- Pleutritis
Treatments for Lupus
Once you are diagnosed with lupus, the doctor will then develop a plan for your treatments for lupus. This will be based on your age, lifestyle, sex, symptoms, and overall health status. The treatments for lupus are actually tailored for every need of an individual. Plus, it may change over the period of time. In the process of the development of the treatments, the doctor aims to:
- Reduce the organ damage and some other problems
- Treat the flares when they occur
- Prevent any flares
Medications for Lupus include:
- Intravenous immunoglobulin
- Hormonal therapies
- BLyS-specific inhibitors
- Immunosuppressives
- Corticosteroids
- Antimalarials
- NSAIDs
Home Treatments for Lupus:
- Apple cider vinegar
- Basil
- Lower stress
- Ginger
- Vitamin D
- Massage
- Turmeric
- Omega-3 fatty acid
- Coconut oil
- Epsom salt
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- Probiotics
- Olive oil
Always remember that the main goals of the wellness for people with this condition are actually coping with the stress of having the condition. thus, having an effective stress management can be beneficial. However, this may vary from person to person.
