Lupus

LUPUS
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory (also known as systemic lupus erythematosus) is an autoimmune disease, which causes immune system, natural defense system to turn against own tissues and organs throughout the body. Lupus may trigger the health problems (including kidney disease, neurological dysfunction, and rheumatoid arthritis), lupus can set off inflammation and can cause damages in the heart, lungs, blood vessels, brain, joints, skin, kidneys and other parts of the body. While complications arising from lupus can be fatal, the disease often goes into remission, which can sometimes last for years. It could be because of genetic factors or environmental such as infections, certain antibiotics, particularly sulfa and penicillin drugs, UV light, severe stress, hormones and certain other drugs play a key role in triggering disease symptoms. The symptoms of Lupus vary widely among patients, as do the treatments which range from avoiding stress.
Symptoms; Although lupus symptoms vary widely from case to case, some signs and symptoms include:
•feeling very tired and fatigue : Nearly all people with lupus have mild to extreme fatigue. Even mild cases of lupus cause an inability to engage in daily activities and exercise. Increased fatigue is a classic sign that a symptom flare is about to occur.
•a butterfly-shaped rash on the face (covering the cheeks and bridge of the nose) The rash often happens after one has been in the sun. Mouth sores and hair loss may occur
•weight gain or loss
•Joint and muscle pain and swelling : Most people with lupus have joint pain(arthritis)and muscle pain considered to be the first sign of the disease. Joints may be red and warm, and may swell. Morning stiffness may also be felt. Lupus arthritis often occurs on both sides of the body at the same time, particularly in the wrists, small joints of the hands, elbows, knees, and ankles.
•mouth sores
•memory loss and tissue damage throughout the body or blood cells.
•skin lesions(typically aggravated by sun exposure)-most people with lupus develop skin rashes,an important clue to the diagnosis. In addition to the butterfly rash over the cheeks and bridge of the nose,other common skin symptoms include skin sores or flaky red spots on the arms, hands, face, neck, or back; mouth or lip sores; and a scaly, red or purple raised rash on the face, neck, scalp, ears, arms, and chest.
Sensitivity to light: Exposure to ultraviolet light (such as sunlight or tanning parlors) typically worsens the skin rash and can trigger lupus flares. Sensitivity to light affects many of those with lupus, with fair-skinned people with lupus tending to be more sensitive.
Nervous system symptoms: The majority of people with lupus develop nervous system problems, most commonly headaches, depression, or anxiety. Memory loss is less common.
Heart problems: People with lupus may develop chest pain or inflammation of the heart sac (pericarditis), which may cause severe, sudden pain in the center of the left side of the chest that may spread to the neck, back, shoulders, or arms.
Mental health problems: People with lupus may develop problems such as anxiety and depression. Such problems can be caused by lupus, the medications used to treat it, or the stress of coping with chronic illness.
Fever : Most people with lupus will sometimes have a low-grade fever related to the disease. Fever is sometimes a first sign of the disease.
Changes in weight: Many people with lupus lose weight when their disease is active (flaring).
Hair loss : People with lupus may experience periods of hair loss, either in patches or spread evenly over the head. This hair loss is usually not permanent.
Swollen glands : Many people with lupus eventually develop swollen lymph glands during a flare.
Raynaud’s phenomenon: Some people with lupus have this condition. It affects the small vessels that supply blood to the skin and the soft tissues under the skin of the fingers and toes, causing them to turn white and/or blue or red. The skin affected will feel numb, tingly, and cold to the touch.
Inflammation of blood vessels in the skin or bleeding from the blood vessels can lead to small or large blue spots or small reddish spots on the skin or nail beds.
Swelling of the hands and feet: Some people with lupus have kidney problems, which can prevent extra fluids from being removed from the body tissues. As fluid collects, the hands and feet may swell.
Anemia : Anemia is a decrease in the amount of the oxygen-carrying substance (hemoglobin) found in red blood cells. Many people with an ongoing disease such as lupus develop anemia because they don’t have enough red blood cells.
There are other conditions with symptoms similar to lupus.
Lupus is not contagious. A person may be born with a certain genetic makeup that affects how the immune system functions or makes him or her at risk for lupus. A combination of factors can trigger the autoimmune process, some of which may affect one person but not another.
Smoking may increase the risk of getting lupus and may make the disease more severe.
Some medications are suspected triggers of lupus and symptom flares.
Some infections are suspected triggers. Some people who have cytomegalovirus (CMV), parvovirus (such as fifth disease), and hepatitis C infections eventually develop lupus. The Epstein-Barr virus has been linked to lupus in children.
Chemical exposure has been known to trigger lupus. Suspected chemical toxins include trichloroethane in well water and silica dust. Hair dyes and straighteners, linked to lupus in the past, are no longer considered to be lupus triggers.
Lupus symptoms vary widely, and they come and go. The times when symptoms get worse are called relapses, or flares. The times when symptoms are not so bad are called remissions.
Diagnosis of lupus the most common symptoms that blood has certain proteins. These proteins are called antinuclear antibodies, or ANAs. But other problems can cause your body to make ANAs,so doctors will use blood tests and other tests to find out if you have lupus.
How to manage lupus?
One of the goals of controlling mild to moderate lupus symptoms is to prevent flares, the times when the symptoms are worse. Some of the other things can do include:
Rest to reduce stress.
Avoid the sun.
Wear sunscreen and protective clothing when to be outside.
Exercise regularly to prevent fatigue and joint stiffness.
Stop smoking.
Learn the warning signs of a symptoms flare, such as fatigue, pain, and rash, and take steps to control them.
With good self-care, most people with lupus can keep doing their regular daily activities.
It is important to learn about lupus so that you can understand how it might affect your life and how you can best cope with it.
Acupuncture ‘SuJok’, itself is a powerful medicine,which aids in strengthening the immune system and serves to prevent diseases, control pain and increase both the ability to function and the quality of peoples lives. It has been shown to promote the health and improve the body’s immune function,also helped many people who were not successfully treated through conventional western medicine. Several conditions can be dramatically improved or remedied in full including Lupus.
The beauty of acupuncture ‘SuJok’ is that each treatment is catered to the needs of an individual patient. Acupunctures energy concept on the hand is chosen for overall well being with the objective of increasing circulation of the blood and vital energy.
Undoubtedly, one may get positive results in Lupus, through the energy concept of acupuncture ‘SuJok’.
write; originsmile.wordpress.com ‘Dr.Dinesh kapur’