Lupus Symptoms : How to Determine

Aug 3, 2011 by

Lupus Symptoms : How to Determine

Lupus Symptoms – How to Determine

Symptoms of LupusSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of unidentified cause that can have an effect on the joints, skin, heart, kidneys, nervous system, lungs, serous membranes and/or other organs of the human body, as a result, lupus symptoms are vary. Immunologic abnormalities, in particular the generation of an amount of antinuclear antibodies, are another notable feature of the disorder. There are many types of lupus, Systemic lupus erythematosus which affects various body parts is the most common type, the others are Subacute Cutaneous lupus erythematosus – brings about skin sores on parts of the body exposed to the sun, Discoid lupus erythematosus – causes a skin rash that doesn’t go away completely, Drug-induced lupus – can be brought on by medications, Neonatal lupus – an uncommon type of lupus that affects newborn babies.

The clinical development of Systemic lupus erythematosus is varied and could be portrayed by cycles of remissions and long-term or acute relapses. Women, mainly in their 20s and 30s, are affected more frequently than men.

Individuals with SLE are subject to many symptoms, problems, as well as inflammatory involvement that could have an impact on almost every single organ. The most frequent pattern is a combination of constitutional complaints with skin, moderate hematologic, serologic involvement, as well as musculoskeletal. On the other hand, a number of individuals have mainly renal, hematologic, or central nerve fibres manifestations. The particular pattern that dominates through first few years of the disease is likely to dominate later.

Lupus Symptoms, Constitusional  - 50 – 100 % of patients has fever, fatigue, and weight loss. Over 50 percent of  lupus symptoms is fever that is thought to be due to active disease. 60 % of the fevers were thought to be due to lupus, 23 % to infection, and 17 % to other causes. Risk factors for infection : long-term disease damage, neutropenia, hypocomplementemia, lymphopenia, active lupus disease, renal involvement, neuropsychiatric manifestations, and the use of glucocorticoids and other immunosuppressive drugs. Most fevers due to active SLE will remit with use of acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and/or low to moderate doses of corticosteroids, if it does not, the suspicion of an infectious or drug related etiology is risen.

Lupus symptoms in women

Low Energy or fatigue happens in 80 – 100 % of lupus symptoms, and often the most debilitating. Its existence in not obviously correlated with other measures of disease activity. Hence fatigue is highly correlated with reduced physical exercise tolerance. However, fatigue might not be caused by active SLE, yet to one or more of the following: depression, increased work load, poor habits (smoking, less active living, substance abuse), stress or anxiety, hypothyroidism, anemia, use of specific medications (such as beta-blockers, prednisone), any inflammatory and/or contagious disease, coexistent fibromyalgia, sleeping disturbances and/or deconditioning, or a perception of inadequate social support. Fatigue caused by SLE may respond to antimalarials and glucocorticoids.Weight gain in lupus is commonly caused by one of two factors: salt and water retention associated with hypoalbuminemia, or increased appetite associated with the use of glucocorticoids.Weight loss often occurs before the diagnosis of SLE. Unwilled weight loss could be because of decreased appetite, the side effects of drugs (especially diuretics or antimalarials), and gastrointestinal disease such as (GERD) gastroesophageal reflux disease, abdominal pain, pancreatitis, or peptic ulcer disease.

Here is a list of Lupus Symptoms 

General Symptoms : Photosensitivity (sensitive to the sun light), Fatigue, Malaise, Hair Loss, Weight gain or loss, Fever
Central Nervous System : Lupus Headaches, Fibromyalgia, CNS Vasculitis
Cardio-Vascular System : Antiphospolipid Syndrome, Anemia, Chest Pain when taking a deep breath, Myocarditis, Endocarditis
Gastrointestinal Tract : Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Lupus Hepatitis, Chronic Diarrhoea, Nausea and Vomitting, Ascites
Musculoskletal System : Arthritis, Muscle Pain, Fibromyalgia
Reproductive System : Lesion(s) in genital area, Loss of Libido, Increase Miscarriage rate
Kidney : Lupus Nephritis
Skin : Discoid Lupus Erytemathosus, Malar Rash / Butterfly Rash, Tumid Lupus Erythematosus, Raynaud’s Phenomenon, Lupus Panniculitis, Purpura, Subacute Cutaneus Lupus
Mouth and Nose : Mucosal Discoid Lupus, Mouth and Nose Ulcers, Bullous Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Lungs : Pleuritis, Shortness of breath, Chest Pain
Other Organs : Eye Problem, Lupus Thyroiditis, Swollen Glands, Rhinitis nonallergica

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How Is Lupus Diagnosed?

Lupus is not diagnosed with single test only. The diagnosis might take several months or years, as your doctor has to piece together the puzzle of symptoms of this complex disease in order to be diagnosed accurately. Knowledge and awareness of  the doctor and also good communication from the patient are important so that the correct diagnosis can be made. Some test for lupus or tools may be required by your doctor to make the diagnosis of lupus symptoms, such as :

  • Medical history
  • Complete physical examination
  • Complete blood count (CBC)
  • Blood chemistries
  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
  • Urinalysis
  • Complement levels
  • Antinuclear antibody test (ANA)
  • Other autoantibody tests (anti-DNA, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-Ro [SSA], anti‑La [SSB])
  • Anticardiolipin antibody test
  • Skin biopsy (looking at skin samples under a microscope)
  • Kidney biopsy (looking at tissue from your kidney under a microscope).
  • X rays and other imaging tests can help doctors see the organs affected lupus

Related Article you might like Lupus symptoms in women, Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms and Diagnosis

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