Lupus is a painful inflammatory disorder in which body’s immune system becomes hyperactive. The job of immune system is to produce antibodies to fight disease. In Lupus, the immune system starts producing large number of antibodies (this is called autoimmune process) which starts to attacking body’s healthy cells also. Lupus is not contagious. Lupus is of different types but those which we know as lupus are systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), descoid (cutaneous), drug-induced and neonatal.
Cause of Lupus
The exact cause of lupus and why the immune system does starts producing more antibodies which destroy own body cells and tissues are not known. It is a possibility that people may have some genetic combination, affecting the immune system, thus making him more prone to lupus.
There are several factors that can cause lupus, they affect people differently. Some factors affect some people and some affect others. Few of these are:
1.Ultraviolet light
If body is exposed to ultraviolet rays (from sunlight), the disease process is triggered and symptom are worsen.
2. Estrogen and progesterone hormone
It is seen that lupus is mostly found in women so it is felt that may be lupus is caused by the estrogen and progesterone hormones, as in women, the level of these hormones is high.
3.Smoking
Chances of people getting lupus are more in smokers and smoking also may cause the disease to become severe.
4. Medicines
Few medicines are supposed to trigger lupus and its symptoms.
5. Infections
Infections like cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis and parvovirus are alleged to trigger lupus.
6. Chemical exposure
Toxins in silica dust and trichloroethylene in water and have been reported to be causing lupus. Earlier straighteners and hair dyes were thought to cause lupus, but now they are not considered to trigger lupus
Symptoms of Lupus
If you have lupus, you will be very fatigued, will have skin rashes or pain in the joints. The symptoms of lupus in a person will be determined by which body organ has been affected and to what extent. The symptoms can be:
- Extreme tiredness: Mild to extreme fatigue will be seen in mostly all people affected with lupus. These people find it difficult to complete the daily activities.
- Muscle and joint pain: Joint pain is a very common symptom seen in mostly people with lupus and these people would have suffered from arthritis at some time or the other. In about 70% of people suffering from lupus, muscle and joint pain were the first symptoms of the disease.
- Skin problems: Skin rashes appear in people with lupus. These rashes are important evidence that leads to diagnosis of lupus. These skin problems are butterfly rash camera which appears over the cheeks and tip of the nose, flaky red spots which can appear on various areas of the body (the hands, arms, neck, face, neck, or back), lip or mouth sores.
- Symptoms of the nervous system: Nervous system problem is seen in some people who suffer from lupus. Headache is a common symptom in these people. But here there is a confusion as these can also be due the excessive tiredness and stress.
- Problem related to heart: Pericarditis – inflammation of the heart sac is a symptom seen in few people suffering from lupus. This leads to severe, unexpected pain in the chest’s left side’s center. This can even spread to back, neck, arms or shoulders.
- Problem related to lungs: The sac around the lung called pleurisy may become inflamed causing coughing and chest pain.
- Mental health problems: Lupus patients become anxious and depressed.
- Fever: Mild fever, related to lupus, is common in people suffering from lupus. This, in few cases, is the first indication of the disease.
- Weight loss: When lupus disease is active, patients lose weight
- Hair loss: Temporary hair loss, either all over the head or in patches is a symptom seen in people with lupus disease.
- Swollen glands: During flare, people get swollen lymph glands .
- Raynaud’s phenomenon: In this phenomenon, small vessels supplying blood to soft tissues under the fingers’ and toes’ skin is affected thus, turn them blue and/or white or red.
- Swollen hands and feet: When people have kidney problems along with lupus, extra fluid is not removed from the body tissues. This fluid collects and causes feet and hands to swell.
- Anemia: Deficiency of red blood cells cause people with lupus to develop anemia.
