Lupus Erythematos - Symptoms and Treatment

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease that is potentially debilitating and sometimes fatal as the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. Lupus is called a multisystem disease because it can affect many different tissues and organs in the body. Some patients with lupus have a very mild condition, which can be treated with simple medications, whereas others can have serious, life-threatening complications. Lupus is more common in women than men, and its peak incidence is after puberty the reason for this is unknown. Systemic lupus erythematosis is a chronic disorder punctuated by flares and remissions. The symptoms of lupus, such as fevers, swollen joints, and fatigue, can vary from day to day. Flares are unpredictable in their character, frequency, and severity. Also, each person's illness has its own personality and pattern of flares and characteristics. These flares alternate with periods of few or no symptoms (remissions). In lupus the immune system becomes unbalanced resulting in the body reacting against healthy tissue. Occasionally the disease is caused by using certain drugs. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is classified as a rheumatic disease. It can cause inflammation in the joints and several of the body's organ systems. (For example: the skin, the kidneys and various other internal organs.) Hence the term systemic. The term 'lupus erythematosus' refers to the red rash on the face. Discoid lupus affects the skin and is a relatively mild disease. Sometimes it is treated by a rheumatologist (a specialist in arthritis and rheumatic disease) but more commonly by a dermatologist (a specialist in skin disorders).

Lupus is a condition of chronic inflammation caused by an autoimmune disease. It is characterized by fever, skin lesions, joint pain or arthritis and anemia, and often affecting the kidneys, spleen, and various other organs. The disease primarily affect women of childbearing age and have a variety of clinical forms. Patients with lupus produce abnormal antibodies in their blood that target tissues within their own body rather than foreign infectious agents.When internal organs are involved, the condition is called systemic lupuserythematosus. Drug-induced lupus erythematosus occurs as a result of a hypersensitivity reaction to a medication. The drug may react with cell materials, causing the body to react to itself and form antinuclear antibodies .

Causes of Lupus Erythematosus

Common Causes of Lupus Erythematosus :

• The cause is unknown.
• The injuries in the vessels may also contribute in the formation of lupus erythematosus.
• Reversible drug-induced lupus ; The drugs which are responsible for lupus are procainamide (Procanbid), hydralazine (Apresoline), and isoniazid (Laniazid).
• They increase the tendency of developing autoimmune diseases, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and immune thyroid disorders are more common among relatives of patients with lupus than the general population.
• such as viruses, the ultraviolet rays in sunlight, Silica dust, and allergies to medications are among the main causes of lupus erythermatosus.

Symptoms of Lupus Erythematosus

Some common Symptoms of Lupus Erythematos

• Muscle aches.
• Fever.
• Anemia.
• Joint pain and swelling.
• Seizures.
• Weight loss.
• Sensitivity to sunlight.
• Swollen glands.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Fatigue.
• Skin rash.

Treatment of Lupus Erythematosus

• Corticosteroids such as prednisone ( Deltasone ) and other immunosuppressive drugs such as azathioprine (Imuran) , cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), and cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune).
• Conservative treatment include ibuprofen ( Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (Naprosyn) and are appropriate for patients with muscle or joint pain, fatigue, skin manifestations (such as rashes), and other features that are not life-threatening.
• Antimalarials are another type of drug commonly used to treat lupus. A common antimalarial used to treat lupus is hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil).
• Exercise.
• Diet/rest.
• Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs, Antimalarial drugs, Corticosteroids, Immunosuppressants .

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