How Does Lupus Affect The Immune System – Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to damage organs and tissues throughout your body. This causes inflammation that can affect the skin, joints, blood and organs such as the kidneys, lungs and heart. A health care provider will help you find medications to manage your symptoms and reduce how often you have flare-ups.
Everyone with lupus experiences a different combination and severity of symptoms, but these are among the most common.
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How Does Lupus Affect The Immune System
Lupus is a condition that causes inflammation throughout your body. It’s an autoimmune disease, which means your immune system damages your body instead of protecting it. You may experience symptoms throughout your body, depending on where your autoimmune system damages tissue, including in:
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See a health care provider if you notice new pain, rash, or changes in your skin, hair, or eyes.
Health care providers sometimes call lupus systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This is the most common type of lupus and means you have lupus all over your body. Other types include:
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Lupus causes symptoms throughout your body, depending on which organs or systems it affects. Everyone experiences a different combination and severity of symptoms.
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Lupus symptoms usually come and go in waves called flares. During a flare-up, symptoms can be severe enough to affect your daily life. You may also have periods of remission when you have mild or no symptoms.
Symptoms usually develop slowly. You may notice one or two signs of lupus at first, and later more or different symptoms. The most common symptoms include:
Experts don’t know for sure what causes lupus. Studies have found that certain factors about your health or where you live can cause lupus:
A healthcare provider will diagnose lupus with a physical exam and some tests. They will examine your symptoms and talk to you about what you are experiencing. Tell your provider when you first notice symptoms or changes in your body. Your provider will ask about your medical history, including conditions you may have now and how you treat or manage them.
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Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because it can affect so many parts of your body and cause many different symptoms. Even small changes or problems that seem unusual to you can be a clue. Don’t be afraid to tell your provider about anything you’ve felt or sensed—you know your body better than anyone else.
There is no single test that can confirm a diagnosis of lupus. Its diagnosis is usually part of a differential diagnosis. This means your provider will likely use some tests to determine what’s causing your symptoms before ruling out other conditions and diagnosing you with lupus. They can use:
Your healthcare provider will suggest lupus treatments that control your symptoms. The goal is to reduce the damage to your organs and how much lupus affects your daily life. Most people with lupus need a combination of medications to help prevent flare-ups and reduce the severity of symptoms during one. You may need:
You may need other medications or treatments to manage specific lupus symptoms you have or other health conditions that cause them. For example, you may need treatment for anemia, high blood pressure (hypertension), or osteoporosis if lupus is causing these problems.
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You can’t prevent lupus because experts aren’t sure what causes it. Talk to a health care provider about your risk if one of your biological parents has lupus.
You may be able to prevent and reduce lupus flares by avoiding activities that trigger your symptoms, including:
Lupus is a lifelong (chronic) condition. You should expect to manage your lupus symptoms for the rest of your life.
Lupus can be unpredictable and the way it affects you can change over time. You will need to see your healthcare provider regularly so they can track changes in your symptoms.
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You will likely work with a team of providers as you learn to live with lupus. Your primary care provider will suggest specialists who can help with specific problems or symptoms. You will likely need to see a rheumatologist, a healthcare provider who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases. Which specialists you should see depends on what symptoms you have and how they affect your body.
There is currently no cure for lupus. Your healthcare provider will help you find a combination of treatments to manage your symptoms and hopefully put your lupus into remission (long periods without symptoms or flare-ups).
See a healthcare provider as soon as you notice new or changing symptoms. Even small changes in how you feel and experience can be important.
Talk to your provider if you think your treatment isn’t managing your lupus symptoms as well as it used to. Tell your provider if you have more frequent attacks or if the attacks cause worse symptoms. They will help you adjust your treatment as needed.
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Go to the emergency room or call 911 (or your local emergency number) if you experience any of the following symptoms:
Lupus can be a frustrating, tiring condition. Pain, inflammation, and irritation throughout your body can be debilitating. But don’t forget to value yourself. Living with a chronic illness is hard work, and you deserve recognition for dealing with your symptoms every day. Ask your provider about mental health resources and support groups if you think talking to someone about how you’re feeling might help.
Don’t be afraid to talk to your provider and ask questions. Even small changes in your symptoms or health can be a sign that lupus is affecting you differently. Remember that you are the best judge of when something is wrong in your body. The autoimmune disease lupus can have an impact on your entire body. Here are the facts about common lupus comorbidities and how to prevent and manage them.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Lupus inflammation can affect different parts of the body, including the kidneys, brain and central nervous system, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and more.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (sle): Nursing
Lupus affects different people differently. Symptoms can appear suddenly or build up over time. They can be mild or severe. Many cases of lupus are characterized by flare-ups in which symptoms temporarily worsen and then improve or disappear over a period of time.
There are many different types of lupus. The most common is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which accounts for about 70 percent of all lupus cases, according to the Lupus Foundation of America. SLE patients have many co-morbidities, a British study has found. Discoid lupus erythematosus affects only the skin. Drug-induced lupus is a form of lupus caused by certain drugs. Read more basic facts about lupus.
Lupus complications are more likely to occur when lupus is not well controlled, so the mainstay of lupus treatment is trying to prevent complications. Today, there are more treatment options than ever before to treat lupus, with many more currently being studied. The right treatment for you depends on the type of lupus and what symptoms you have. Common medications for lupus include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil); corticosteroids; immunosuppressive drugs such as azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, and methotrexate; and certain biologic drugs approved to treat lupus.
The most important thing you can do right away as a lupus patient is to find a health care provider you trust, says Jill Bouillon, MD, a rheumatologist and director of the Lupus Center and director of the NYU Division of Rheumatology Langone Health. York City.
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After reading this list of lupus complications, raise any questions or concerns you have with your doctor. You may need to create a health team of different specialists—such as seeing a rheumatologist, cardiologist, and nephrologist—or facilitate better communication between them to make sure you’re getting optimal care for your lupus and its comorbidities.
About 50 percent of lupus patients experience heart complications, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. “Lupus inflammation puts you at increased risk for cardiovascular disease,” says Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, MD, associate professor of medicine and training in rheumatology and program director-chair of the Women in Internal Medicine Program in the Department of Medicine at Duke of Durham. , North Carolina.
Revealed at least a twofold increased cardiovascular risk in patients with SLE. “The most common cardiac complication of lupus is atherosclerosis [when plaque clogs the arteries] and heart attacks,” says Christopher Collins, MD, a rheumatologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. Although the early stages of atherosclerosis do not have many symptoms, it can cause plaque to build up and begin to block the artery:
Heart attacks can occur at a younger age in lupus patients than in the general population. “Lupus patients are not recognized as having this independent risk factor,” says Dr. Collins. Doctors and patients may dismiss chest pain in lupus patients because they think they are too young to have a heart attack.
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Lupus heart complications also include pericarditis, which is inflammation of the pericardium, the membrane that surrounds the heart. Symptoms include shortness of breath and chest pain when you take a deep breath, cough or
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