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All about lupus

This is a very rarely heard of condition, though worldwide it is more common than leukaemia, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy. Lupus is an autoimmune disease wherein the patient’s immune system creates antibodies which attack the person’s body tissues instead of protecting it from disease and infection.

Lupus is neither infectious nor contagious. But it can be triggered in these conditions:

1. At puberty and during menopause
2. After childbirth
3. After viral infection
4. Through sunlight
5. Due to trauma
6. After a prolonged course of medication

Causes: Though the exact cause of lupus is unknown, yet it is thought to be due to a combination of factors. So, it could be a blend of a person’s genes and his exposure to some unknown triggers.

Signs and symptoms: Lupus’ symptoms vary depending on the person’s and form of the condition. Everyone suffering from it does not experience all the symptoms which include: achy or swollen joints; persistent fever of over 100°; extreme fatigue; skin rashes and a butterfly shaped rash across the cheeks and nose; chest pain while deep breathing; anaemia, excessive protein in the urine; sensitivity to sun; hair loss; abnormal blood clotting problems; fingers turning white and/or blue in the cold; seizures and mouth or nose ulcers for over two weeks. Some of these symptoms can result in the destruction of our vital organs.

Treatment: Most of the symptoms of lupus are due to inflammation, so treatments usually centre on reducing the inflammation by using a variety of medications. They include:

• Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAID): Drugs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, sulindac, piroxicam and diclofenac are given
• Corticosteroids: Drugs such as prednisone, prednisolone, medrol, deltasone, cortisone and others are administered.
• Anti-malarials: These medicines treat joint pain, skin rashes and ulcers in the mouth or nose of which Plaquenil is the most commonly prescribed in the US.
• Immunosuppressants: This is for those patients who have a very severe form of lupus that affects an organ to the point that it is damaged. Immunosuppressants are given to save the function of the organ.

Home remedies:

1. Take bone meal, dolomite, PABA, pantothenic acid, and vitamins A, C, D, and E.
2. Include a lot of vitamin A in your diet.
3. Wrap all your aching joints in an elasticized bandage to keep the swelling down.
4. Spend 30 minutes in a Jacuzzi or a hot tub.
5. Soak your aching hands in a basin of warm water and white vinegar.
6. Alternate heat packs with cold and place them over aching joints and muscles.
7. Learn what triggers flare-ups and live within your limits.

If you suffer from any of the symptoms mentioned here, don’t delay in speaking about them to the doctor. Delay is dangerous, particularly in matters of health, so be careful and be doubly quick about seeing your doctor.