How Do You Know You Tested Positive for Lupus

Overview

People with lupus may develop a rash across the face up. This symptom of lupus is often described as looking like a butterfly.

What is lupus?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), ordinarily referred to simply equally lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease that tin crusade swelling (inflammation) and pain throughout your torso. When you accept an autoimmune disease, your body'south immune organization fights itself. The allowed system is supposed to fight possible threats to the torso — infections, for example — but, in this example, information technology goes after salubrious tissue.

If you have lupus, you might experience joint pain, skin sensitivities and rashes, and bug with internal organs (brain, lungs, kidneys and centre). Many of your symptoms might come and become in waves — often called flare-ups. At times, symptoms of lupus might exist balmy or not noticeable (meaning they're in remission). Other times, yous could feel astringent symptoms of the status that heavily bear on your daily life.

What are the different types of lupus?

There are several different types of lupus. Systemic lupus erythematosus is the most mutual. Other types of lupus include:

• Cutaneous lupus erythematosus: This type of lupus affects the skin — cutaneous is a term meaning skin. Individuals with cutaneous lupus erythematosus may experience skin issues like a sensitivity to the sun and rashes. Hair loss can too exist a symptom of this condition.
• Drug-induced lupus: These cases of lupus are acquired by sure medications. People with drug-induced lupus may have many of the same symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus, merely information technology's normally temporary. Ofttimes, this blazon of lupus goes away once you cease the medication that's causing it.
• Neonatal lupus: A rare type of lupus, neonatal lupus is a condition found in infants at birth. Children born with neonatal lupus have antibodies that were passed to them from their mother — who either had lupus at the time of the pregnancy or may take the condition later in life. Not every infant born to a mother with lupus will have the affliction.

Who is affected by lupus?

Anyone can have lupus. Information technology tin can happen to women, men, children and even newborns. It'south much more unremarkably seen in women than men, with most 90% of diagnosed cases being women of reproductive age. Experts have a difficult time estimating how many people in the The states accept lupus because information technology is difficult to diagnose. Lupus has a wide variety of symptoms that can as well be signs of other medical conditions. Because of this, at that place may be people with lupus who go undiagnosed throughout their lives.

Lupus is as well more prominent in sure ethnicities. African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American women are all more probable to develop the condition than Caucasian women.

Your chance of having lupus is too increased if you lot take a family unit member with lupus or another autoimmune illness.

Is lupus more than common in women?

Lupus is much more mutual in women, with ix out of x cases happening in women. Often, women are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 44 — during their reproductive years. Even though the cause of lupus is unknown, it'due south thought that the hormone estrogen may play a part in the condition.

What does lupus do to the trunk?

Lupus tin impact many different parts of your body. It tin can crusade aches and pains, besides every bit serious complications to your major organs. Because lupus is an autoimmune disease, information technology causes your trunk to attack itself. This tin can lead to organ damage over time.

Parts of the trunk that can be impacted by lupus can include the skin, claret, joints, kidneys, brain, heart and lungs.

• Skin: Pare problems are a common feature of lupus. Some people with lupus take a red rash over their cheeks and the span of their olfactory organ. Because the location of this rash is the aforementioned equally the common markings of a wolf, the name "lupus" (wolf in Latin) was given to this disease many years ago. Other skin problems that may happen include large red, round rashes (plaques), which may scar (chosen discoid lupus). Skin rashes are usually made worse by sunlight. Hair loss and mouth sores are besides mutual.
• Blood: Blood interest tin can happen with or without other symptoms. Individuals with lupus may have unsafe reductions in the number of cherry blood cells, white blood cells or platelets (cells that assistance clot the blood). Sometimes, changes in blood counts may contribute to symptoms of fatigue (low red blood cell count, anemia), serious infections (depression white blood cell count), or easy bruising (low platelet count). Still, many people practice not have symptoms that bespeak blood abnormalities, and so it's important to have periodic blood tests in order to detect any problems. Claret clots are seen with increased frequency in lupus. Clots often happen in the legs (a vein jell, called deep venous thrombosis), lungs (a lung clot, called pulmonary embolus), or brain (stroke). Blood clots that develop in lupus patients may be associated with the production of antiphospholipid antibodies. These antibodies are abnormal proteins that may increment the tendency of the claret to clot.
• Joints: Arthritis is very common in people who accept lupus. There may be pain, with or without swelling. Stiffness and pain may be peculiarly uncomfortable in the morning. Arthritis may exist a problem for just a few days to weeks or may exist a permanent characteristic of the disease. Fortunately, arthritis is usually not crippling.
• Kidneys: Kidney involvement in people with lupus is potentially life threatening and may occur in up to half of lupus patients. Kidney problems may become apparent when lupus patients feel ill with arthritis, take a rash, fever and weight loss. Less oft, kidney disease may happen when at that place are no other symptoms of lupus. Kidney disease itself ordinarily doesn't produce symptoms until it's in the advanced stages. It is important that kidney disease be diagnosed early and treated appropriately. The primeval signs of kidney disease are credible from a urine test called urinalysis.
• Encephalon: Fortunately, brain involvement is a rare trouble in people with lupus. When nowadays, information technology may cause defoliation, depression, seizures and, rarely, strokes.
• Centre and lungs: Centre and lung involvement is often caused by inflammation of the covering of the heart (pericardium) and lungs (pleura). When these structures become inflamed, you may develop breast pain, irregular heartbeat and build upwards of fluid around the lungs (pleuritis or pleurisy) and heart (pericarditis).

Symptoms and Causes

What causes lupus?

The cause of lupus is currently unknown. Researchers are nonetheless working to learn more well-nigh the reason lupus happens. Fifty-fifty though the verbal cause isn't known, at that place are factors that may play into the condition. Possible factors that could cause lupus can include:

• Hormonal changes: Women are more than likely to experience lupus than men and this could be partly due to hormones similar estrogen. Lupus is often seen in women during their reproductive years (ages 15 to 44) when estrogen levels are higher.
• Environmental factors: Dissimilar aspects of your environment can also increase your adventure of having lupus. Factors like the corporeality of sunlight yous're exposed to, medications yous accept, viruses you might have been exposed to, or even stress, can all exist possible causes of lupus. A history of smoking can likewise exist a possible crusade of lupus.
• Your family history: There may be a genetic factor to lupus. If you have family members who have lupus, your run a risk of the disease is increased.

What are the symptoms of lupus?

There are a wide diverseness of symptoms you might feel if you have lupus. Non everyone with lupus volition have the aforementioned gear up of symptoms. Besides, many of these symptoms overlap with what you could experience with other medical conditions. This is one of the difficulties in diagnosing someone with lupus.

The symptoms of lupus tin be slow to develop. Yous may notice new symptoms over time. The severity of your symptoms can also change over time. Sometimes symptoms may barely exist present (in remission), while other times they could flare up. A burst is when a symptom is all of a sudden more than severe than before.

Symptoms of lupus can include:

• Articulation pain.
• Musculus hurting.
• Rashes.
• Fever.
• Sensitivity to sunlight.
• Hair loss.
• Oral fissure sores.
• Dry optics.
• Fatigue.
• Chest pain.
• Breadbasket pain.
• Shortness of jiff.
• Swollen glands.
• Headaches.
• Confusion.
• Depression.
• Problems with the kidneys, centre or lungs.
• Seizures.
• Blood clots.
• Anemia.
• Raynaud's miracle.

What are the symptoms of lupus in women?

A majority of the people diagnosed with lupus are women. Women tend to experience the full general symptoms of lupus, just they can likewise take complications that impact various parts of the torso. These complications tin include kidney problems (more commonly seen in African-American and Hispanic women than other groups), osteoporosis and heart disease.

What is the lupus rash?

A peel rash is one common symptom of lupus. Rashes from lupus are often from prolonged sun exposure, and ordinarily last days to weeks. You can have a rash on your face, hands or wrists. When you lot have a rash on your face, information technology typically extends across the bridge of your nose and onto each of your cheeks. This is frequently referred to equally a "butterfly rash" because of the shape beyond your face up.

Skin rashes tin can be uncomfortable and itchy. These rashes tin sometimes fade after a short period of fourth dimension. All the same, some rashes and sores on your skin tin can exist permanent.

Why does lupus crusade pilus loss?

Ane of the complications of lupus can exist damage to your skin and hair loss. People with lupus tin can develop scarring on their pare and scalp from rashes. This can cause your pilus to thin and fall out. You lot could likewise experience hair loss as a side issue of some medications that treat lupus — pilus loss tin be a side issue of steroids. If your hair is thinning or falling out, talk to your healthcare provider. Sometimes, irresolute your medications tin assist with this event. Your provider might also recommend using gentle shampoos (baby shampoo).

Why does lupus cause weight gain or weight loss?

Many people with lupus may experience weight loss. This can be caused by the medications that are used to treat lupus or from the discomfort of the illness itself. On the flip side, some people may proceeds weight if they find that they are inactive due to articulation pain. It's important to maintain a healthy diet when you take lupus. Talk to your healthcare provider — and possibly a nutritionist (a nutrient specialist) — to determine the best diet for y'all.

Diagnosis and Tests

How is lupus diagnosed?

The diagnosis process can be long and difficult for lupus. The symptoms that you might experience with lupus tin overlap with those of other conditions — for example, diabetes and arthritis. Symptoms of lupus may besides accept time to develop, calculation to the challenge of diagnosing the disease.

Your healthcare provider will typically outset with a family history to see if lupus runs in your family. So, your provider will want to talk over whatsoever symptoms you've experienced. After talking to y'all nearly your symptoms, your provider will typically do some lab tests. These tests are looking for things like low blood cell counts, anemia and other abnormalities.

The provider may as well do an antinuclear antibody (ANA) test. This test looks for antibodies — proteins in your body that defend against affliction — that could be a sign you have an autoimmune affliction. People who have systemic lupus erythematosus usually exam positive for ANAs.

Does a positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) examination mean I have lupus?

Testing positive for antinuclear antibodies lone does not mean yous have lupus. The ANA examination is positive in most people with lupus, but information technology'south besides positive in many people who do non have lupus. Because of this, a positive ANA alone isn't enough to diagnosis you with lupus. Your provider will typically await for at to the lowest degree three other clinical features (including symptoms and family history) before making a diagnosis of lupus.

Management and Treatment

How is lupus treated?

The way your provider treats lupus tin can depend on several factors, including:

• The symptoms and complications you are experiencing.
• The severity of your example.
• Your historic period.
• The blazon of medications you may be taking.
• Your general health.
• Your medical history.

Lupus is a life-long (chronic) condition that will needed to exist managed regularly. The goal with handling is to get your symptoms into remission (not active) and limit the amount of damage the disease does to your organs. Unfortunately, lupus is unpredictable and the way the condition impacts y'all can shift and change over time. Y'all volition need to regularly visit your healthcare provider and suit your intendance plan to friction match your symptoms.

Some people with mild features of lupus might require express treatment. These individuals may accept symptoms that are monitored and watched to make sure they practise not become worse, but they aren't currently in need of handling. Others may demand an ambitious treatment plan. These individuals tend to have more serious complications (like heart, lung or kidney complications). Your healthcare provider will discuss the best treatment options with you based on your symptoms, complications and medical history.

What are common lupus medications?

Medications that tin can be used to treat lupus include:

• Steroids (corticosteroids, including prednisone): Steroid creams can be direct applied to rashes. The use of creams is usually safe and effective, especially for balmy rashes. The employ of steroid creams or pills in depression doses can be effective for mild or moderate features of lupus. Steroids tin also be used in college doses when internal organs are threatened. Unfortunately, loftier doses are as well most likely to produce side effects.
• Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil®): This medication is usually used to help keep mild lupus-related issues, such as skin and joint disease, nether control. It's likewise used to treat fatigue and mouth sores.
• Azathioprine (Imuran®): A medication originally used to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, this is commonly used to care for the more serious features of lupus.
• Methotrexate (Rheumatrex®): This medication is another chemotherapy drug that's used to suppress the immune system. Its use is condign increasingly pop for skin affliction, arthritis and other non-life threatening forms of affliction that take not responded to medications such every bit hydroxychloroquine or low doses of prednisone.
• Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®) and mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept®): These medications are chemotherapy drugs that accept very powerful effects on reducing the activity of the allowed arrangement. They are used to care for more astringent forms of lupus, peculiarly lupus that affects the kidneys.
• Belimumab (Benlysta®): This medication is a monoclonal antibody that reduces the activeness of white blood cells (lymphocytes) that brand autoantibodies. Autoantibodies are important equally they cause tissue damage. Belimumab is used to treat lupus that does not involve the kidneys and has not responded to other types of treatments.
• Rituximab (Rituxan®): This medication is too a monoclonal antibody that reduces the activity of white claret cells (lymphocytes) that make autoantibodies. It'south sometimes used to treat lupus that has not responded to other types of treatments.

Outlook / Prognosis

Can lupus be cured?

There's currently no cure for lupus. Treatment of lupus is focused on decision-making your symptoms and limiting the amount of the damage the illness does to your torso. The status tin can be managed to minimize the touch lupus has on your life, but it will never go abroad.

Can you die from lupus?

In most cases, death wouldn't be caused directly by lupus, but by the symptoms and damage to organs. Issues similar kidney damage, cardiovascular affliction and infections tin can cause serious impairment and be life-threatening.

Is lupus contagious?

Lupus is non contagious and cannot exist passed from one person to some other by touch, sneeze or cough.

Living With

Can I become pregnant if I have lupus?

Women with lupus can get pregnant. However, at that place is a take a chance of poor pregnancy outcomes (miscarriage) in people with lupus. If you lot're considering a future pregnancy, start talking to your healthcare provider several months in advance during a preconception appointment. Your provider may need to accommodate your lupus medications to ensure that they're safe for pregnancy.

If I have lupus, volition I pass information technology on to my children?

At that place tin can be a genetic factor to lupus. Your risk of having lupus increases if you have other family unit members with the status. A mother with lupus tin can pass it on to her child. However, this doesn't always happen, nor does it happen frequently. Some women with lupus deliver a baby with the condition, while others practise not. If you have a family unit history of lupus or have lupus yourself and are thinking about getting pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider.

What tin I do to prevent lupus flare-ups?

While lupus itself tin't be prevented, you can make changes to your daily life to help avoid flare-ups of your symptoms. A few things to try tin include:

• Fugitive lord's day exposure: For many with lupus, sun exposure can be an issue. Try avoiding going outside during peak hours when the sunday is out, wearing protective article of clothing (long sleeves and a brimmed hat) and wearing sunscreen.
• Staying in motility: Joint pain tin make you desire to sit down and balance, only doing depression-impact exercises can actually help.
• Maintaining good for you habits: A few habits to proceed in mind include making healthy choices when it comes to your food, getting enough of sleep and cutting back on the stress in your life. There is also a strong link between lupus and center illness. Make sure you lot are working with your healthcare team to reduce your take a chance of heart issues.

A annotation from Cleveland Clinic

If you are experiencing the symptoms of lupus, reach out to your healthcare provider. Lupus tin can take a long time to diagnose because of the wide range of symptoms and the way symptoms slowly build over time. Getting diagnosed is the get-go step to managing the condition and improving your quality of life.

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Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4875-lupus

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