Educational Lupus Information - Part 4

Systemic lupus is a disease that can affect many parts of the body. A lupus symptom that is active for a while is called a lupus flare; if the symptoms go away for a period of time, it's referred to as remission. Some doctors prefer to use the term "quiescence," which means a quiet period, instead of the word remission.


Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus require both medical treatment for controlling their dysfunctional immune system (immunosuppressant medications), and for overcoming the diseases generated by Lupus. People with Lupus are very susceptible to bacterial infections and need continuous medical treatment with antibiotics. Many patients with Lupus also suffer from lung disease (tuberculosis, pneumonia) and cardio-vascular diseases and need medical treatments with antihypertensive medications and anti-inflammatory drugs. Although there are various medical therapies and treatments available nowadays, patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus can be affected by the disease for their entire lifetimes. The evolution and the chronic character of Lupus resemble HIV, both involving dysfunctions of the immune system and high susceptibility to other diseases.

While people with discoid lupus erythematosus mostly present recurring skin disorders, patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus can develop a wide range of diseases: cardiovascular diseases, tuberculosis, pneumonia, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, diseases of the musculoskeletal or nervous systems.

Becoming overtired or feeling as though your stress level is building up.Having more frequent or higher fevers than usual.Aching in your muscles, or more painful and swollen joints.The development of a rash.The development of any symptoms you have not had before.

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 This information is for"informational purposes" and is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis. Always consult your physician on matters such as this.

Educational Lupus Information - Part 3

Becoming overtired or feeling as though your stress level is building up.Having more frequent or higher fevers than usual.Aching in your muscles, or more painful and swollen joints.The development of a rash.The development of any symptoms you have not had before


Cytotoxic medications are very powerful and they are prescribed only to patients with severe forms of lupus. Cytotoxic medications and corticosteroids are usually prescribed together in lupus treatments and their aim is to suppress the production of antibodies that are harmful to the organism.

Lupus generates a wide range of symptoms and people with the disease experience them at different intensities. Lupus involves abnormal activity of the immune system. The dysfunctional immune system produces antibodies that turn against healthy body cells and tissues (antinuclear antibodies). Some antibodies produced by the dysfunctional immune system can even alter the body’s genetic material (anti-DNA antibodies). The abnormal activity of the immune system can lead to the occurrence of various internal disorders (heart disease, pulmonary disease, kidney disease), disorders of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, osteoporosis), disorders of the nervous system (brain disease) and skin diseases (lupus rash, erythematous lesions).

The treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus is mainly targeted at reducing the damage caused by the dysfunctional immune system to the body. Immunosuppressive medications are very common in the treatment for lupus. Although they can generate pronounced side-effect, corticosteroids are often used in the treatment of systemic lupus erythemaosus. However, doctors are trying to minimize the use of harmful drugs such as azathioprine (Imuran) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan).

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This information is for"informational purposes" and is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis. Always consult your physician on matters such as this.

Educational Lupus Information - Part 2

Subacute cutaneous lupus rash generally occurs in the body areas that are exposed to the sun. The rash increases in size and it forms circular, scaly patches. This type of lupus rash doesn’t involve scarring, but it usually heals with hypo-pigmentation of the skin. Subacute cutaneous lupus rash can occur in both systemic and discoid forms of the disease and it generally fades in the periods of remission. Although it can’t be completely overcome, this symptom can also be controlled through the means of medical treatments. When you have lupus rash, it is very important to avoid exposing the affected skin to sunlight. Also, you should avoid exposing the skin to irritants and chemicals, as they can seriously aggravate the rash.


Systemic lupus erythematosus can affect different parts of the body, sometimes even causing permanent damage. Lupus involves dysfunctions or hyperactivity of the immune system, which begins to attack healthy blood cells and genetic material. Instead of protecting the body from infectious agents and malign organisms, the immune system produces antinuclear antibodies that attack the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Systemic lupus erythematosus can affect the cardiovascular system, the lungs, the gastrointestinal tract, the kidneys, the nervous system and brain, the musculoskeletal system or skin. People with systemic lupus erythematosus commonly suffer from affections of the joints, heart disease, pulmonary disease or skin diseases. Considering the multitude of generated symptoms, people with systemic lupus erythematosus require various medical treatments for each particular disorder.

Corticosteroids are commonly prescribed in lupus treatments. These are powerful drugs that control the activity of the dysfunctional immune system.

Lupus rash commonly occurs on the body regions that are exposed to sunlight: scalp, face, neck and shoulders. However, the rash can also occur in other areas of the body (chest, back, palms and feet), in many cases accompanied by skin lesions. When it occurs on the face, lupus rash has a reddish, burn-like aspect. Sometimes the rash can even affect the moist tissues around the mouth and the nose. In the systemic form of the disease, lupus rash doesn’t generally involve skin scarring and it can ameliorate with medical treatment. Lupus rash tends to aggravate if the affected skin is exposed to the sun for long periods of time.

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 This information is for"informational purposes" and is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis. Always consult your physician on matters such as this.

Educational Lupus Information

Antimalarials are aimed at reducing the skin lesions and inflammation differentiating to lupus. These drugs are generally used in both discoid and systemic lupus treatments.


The process of diagnosing discoid lupus erythematosus involves physical examination, laboratory another look of graze samples and elaborate blood tests. If laboratory tests distinguish dysfunctions of the immune plan again the skin lesions are linked to discoid lupus erythematosus, the patients will be prescribed an designate medical treatment. Although the disorder can’t be fully overcome since the means of the medical treatments available today, discoid lupus erythematosus can be controlled besides its generated symptoms answerability be ameliorated. Patients diagnosed duck discoid lupus erythematosus need to elude pedantry to sunlight juice order to prevent strain of their skin lesions again the formation of permanent scars.

Statistics indicate that there are around 2 million kinsfolk diagnosed with Lupus each year. An estimated 90 percent of the affected connections are sex. because some reason, Lupus has the prime incidence in young women and many of them show up the disease after tender age. The disorder also occurs credit infants, quite young children and elderly people. African American and Asian womanliness are submerged fresh touchy to developing Lupus than white women. Research results indicate that the incidence of Lupus in black women is advancement to 3 times higher than in white women. Asian and Hispanic women are usually affected by Lupus at a young age again experience more pronounced forms of the malady.

In the discoid parent of lupus, the rash occurs mastery different regions of the body and it affects larger patches of skin. Discoid lupus rash involves hyperpigmentation of the skin, exfoliation and the formation of crust. The skin lesions characteristic to discoid lupus erythematosus can affect deeper layers of graze also they usually heal shroud scarring. When it occurs on the scalp, discoid lupus mange constraint involve temporary or permanent hair loss (alopecia). If the rash is accompanied by intense scaling, papules besides crust, the skin may heal cache pronounced scarring.

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This information is for"informational purposes" and is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis. Always consult your physician on matters such as this.

Lupus: Treatment, Symptoms and more

The treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus is mainly targeted at
reducing the damage caused by the dysfunctional immune system to
the body. Immunosuppressive medications are very common in the
treatment for lupus. Although they can generate pronounced
side-effect, corticosteroids are often used in the treatment of
systemic lupus erythemaosus.


However, doctors are trying to minimize the use of harmful drugs
such as azathioprine (Imuran) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan).

Discoid lupus erythematosus is a condition of the skin that generates
localized or widespread circular lesions. Discoid lupus erythematosus
is a chronic autoimmune condition. Instead of protecting the body
against infectious organisms, certain dysfunctions of the immune
system cause it to attack healthy body cells and tissues, producing
lesions on the surface of the skin. The skin lesions caused by discoid
lupus erythematosus can aggravate due to prolonged exposure to
the sun.

Most patients have localized skin lesions, predominantly on the body
regions exposed to sunlight: scalp, face, neck and arms. However,
some patients have skin lesions on unexposed regions of the body:
chest, back or legs. These lesions canindicate the development of
systemic lupus erythematosus, which involves serious abnormalities
of the immune system.

Discoid lupus erythematosus is very common in women with ages
between 18 and 50 and it rarely occurs in men. The skin disorder has
the highest incidence in African American women, who commonly
experience more intense symptoms of discoid lupus erythematosus.
Although the actual causes of the disorder have not been identified,
multiple inter-related factors are suspected for triggering the
condition: genetic factors (inherited genetic abnormalities),
hormonal factors (excessive levels of estrogen seem to facilitate the
development of the disorder) and environmental factors (prolonged
medical treatments with antibiotics).

Discoid lupus erythematosus has a pronounced hereditary character,
as the majority of affected people have a family history of the
disorder. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is an autoimmune disease
that can cause a wide range of dysfunctions.

Lupus involves abnormal activity of the immune system, causing it
to attack the healthy blood cells of the body instead of protecting
them from external infectious agents.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus can determine various disorders,
affecting the skin, heart, kidneys, lungs, musculoskeletal system,
nervous system and brain. Considering the fact that systemic lupus
erythematosus generates various uncharacteristic symptoms, it is
very difficult to diagnose the disease relying only on physical
examinations and patients’ reports of their symptoms. Many
symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus can be actually
misleading in the process of diagnosing the disease.

Lupus can be correctly diagnosed only through the means of blood
analyses and laboratory tests. If some of the patients’ experienced
symptoms are linked to systemic lupus erythematosus, the medical
treatment will be established according to the affected persons’
overall health condition.

=========================================================== This information is for"informational purposes" and is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis. Always consult your physician on matters such as this.

Work Disability Among People With Lupus

Being unable to work has a profound impact on chronically ill people and their families. Self esteem, socializing with peers, current income, and retirement assets can all be greatly reduced when a person becomes work disabled. Arthritis Foundation-funded researcher Ed Yelin, PhD, and his team at University of California, San Francisco, assessed the work patterns of people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) at diagnosis and several years after diagnosis.What Problem Was Studied?Because lupus often begins at a fairly young age, during a person’s career-building phase of life, those people have a lot to lose if they cannot work.

If diagnosed at age 30 and work disabled by age 35, a person with lupus may lose up to 30 years of income and have no money saved for retirement. To determine the levels of work disability and characteristics of people who become disabled, Dr. Yelin and team studied a large group of people with lupus over a number of years.What Was Done In the Study?Participants of a genetic study of lupus were recruited for the Lupus Outcomes Study (LOS). Of those in the genetics study, 982 enrolled in the LOS and answered questions to an initial interview. One year later, 832 of the participants answered the same questions again. The survey gathered data about the following:
demographics and socioeconomic status – age, sex, ethnicity, education, income;

SLE status – disease activity, disease manifestations;
general health – height and weight, smoking status, diseases other than lupus;
mental health – depression, cognitive function, stress;
health insurance – type of coverage, copayments, drug coverage;
health care utilization – number of doctor visits, medications taken, hospitalizations; and
employment – if working, number of hours per week, number of weeks per year, occupation, demands of job.

What Were the Study Results?The LOS participants had lupus for an average of ~12 years. Overall, 74% had been employed in the year of diagnosis, declining to 55% at the time of the first LOS interview and to 54% a year later at the second LOS interview. Among participants who had ever been employed, hours worked per week declined by ~35% between the year of diagnosis and the second interview; weeks worked per year declined by ~24%; and total hours worked per year declined by ~32%. By 5 years after diagnosis, 15% had stopped working; by 10 years, ~36%; by 15 years, 51%; and by 20 years, 63% had stopped working. These numbers represent a much lower employment rate than a similar group without SLE.

What Does This Mean For People With Lupus?Among these people with lupus, diagnosis occurred in their mid-30s. More than half of those lost 20 years of earning potential. As Dr. Yelin notes in the article’s summary “Because much of the accrual of retirement savings occurs in these last two decades of a career, after one’s responsibilities to one’s children have passed, persons with SLE will have to face retirement with a much greater risk of poverty.” This grim reality brings to the forefront a need for occupational therapy and work maintenance programs that can help people with chronic diseases remain in the workforce. To reduce employment loss, Dr. Yelin recommends, “People with SLE must work with their employers to receive the job accommodations that are their due under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In particular, flexible work schedules have proven helpful so that those with serious illnesses can fit their illness episodes and need to obtain health care in and around work activities.”

Yelin E, Trupin L, Katz P, et al. Work dynamics among persons with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum (Arthritis Care Res) 2007;57:56-63.

=========================================================== This information is for"informational purposes" and is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis. Always consult your physician on matters such as this.

What Are The Four Types of Lupus?

There are four types of lupus: discoid, systemic, drug-induced and neonatal lupus.

Discoid
Discoid (cutaneous) lupus is always limited to the skin. It is identified by a rash that may appear on the face, neck, and scalp. Discoid lupus is diagnosed by examining a biopsy of the rash. In discoid lupus the biopsy will show abnormalities that are not found in skin without the rash. Discoid lupus does not generally involve the body's internal organs. Therefore, the ANA test may be negative in patients with discoid lupus. However, in a large number of patients with discoid lupus, the ANA test is positive, but at a low level or "titer."

In approximately 10 percent of patients, discoid lupus can evolve into the systemic form of the disease, which can affect almost any organ or system of the body. This cannot be predicted or prevented. Treatment of discoid lupus will not prevent its progression to the systemic form. Individuals who progress to the systemic form probably had systemic lupus at the outset, with the discoid rash as their main symptom.

Systemic
Systemic lupus is usually more severe than discoid lupus, and can affect almost any organ or organ system of the body. For some people, only the skin and joints will be involved. In others, the joints, lungs, kidneys, blood, or other organs and/or tissues may be affected. Generally, no two people with systemic lupus will have identical symptoms. Systemic lupus may include periods in which few, if any, symptoms are evident ("remission") and other times when the disease becomes more active ("flare"). Most often when people mention "lupus," they are referring to the systemic form of the disease.

Drug-Induced
Drug-induced lupus occurs after the use of certain prescribed drugs. The symptoms of drug-induced lupus are similar to those of systemic lupus. The drugs most commonly connected with drug-induced lupus are hydralazine (used to treat high blood pressure or hypertension) and procainamide (used to treat irregular heart rhythms). Drug induced lupus is more common in men who are given these drugs more often. However, not everyone who takes these drugs will develop drug-induced lupus. Only about 4 percent of the people who take these drugs will develop the antibodies suggestive of lupus. Of those 4 percent, only an extremely small number will develop overt drug-induced lupus. The symptoms usually fade when the medications are discontinued.

Neonatal
Neonatal lupus is a rare condition acquired from the passage of maternal autoantibodies, specifically anti-Ro/SSA or anti-La/SSB, which can affect the skin, heart and blood of the fetus and newborn. It is associated with a rash that appears within the first several weeks of life and may persist for about six months before disappearing. Congenital heart block is much less common than the skin rash. Neonatal lupus is not systemic lupus.


=========================================================== This information is for"informational purposes" and is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis. Always consult your physician on matters such as this.