Lupus is a mysterious disease, one with many small signs and symptoms are often overlooked or misinterpreted as a sign of different diseases that led to errors in diagnosis. However, when one of the most common lupus symptoms is accompanied by a more suggestive signs or complications of the disease lupus started to become clear.
There are some people who know the symptoms of lupus in their bodies, while there are also other lupus symptoms that doctors may find upon closer examination using blood tests. Your doctor may suggest that you do the anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) blood test. ANA test immune system serves to identify autoantibodies that attack the body's own tissues and cells. Autoantibodies is not like a normal antibodies that attack bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi as their target but instead this autoantibodies that attack healthy cells in the body of a person. A positive ANA test does not mean a person has lupus, but when combined with the symptoms, physical examination, and other laboratory tests, a positive test can help diagnose the disease early lupus.
Most common lupus symptoms:
Taken from womenshealth.gov
- Joint pain and stiffness, with or without swelling
- Muscle aches, pains, or weakness
- Fever with no known cause
- Feeling very tired
- Butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks
- Other skin rashes
- Unusual weight loss or weight gain
- Anemia (uh-NEE-me-uh) (too few red blood cells)
- Trouble thinking, memory problems, confusion
- Kidney problems with no known cause
- Chest pain when taking a deep breath
- Sun or light sensitivity
- Hair loss
- Purple or pale fingers or toes from cold or stress
- Blood clots
- Seizures
- Sores in the mouth or nose (usually painless)
- Severe headache
- Dizzy spells
- "Seeing things", not able to judge reality
- Feeling sad
- Strokes
- Dry or irritated eyes
Usually, if three or more of the above symptoms of lupus found in the body of a person then the doctor will immediately suspect that the person is suffering from lupus.
People who are affected with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (about half), and especially those affected by lupus skin disease (approximately 70% to 90%), often find that they are very photosensitive or sensitive to sunlight. The reason why lupus patients are more susceptible to the sun is still poorly understood.
Allegedly, that UV light causes skin cells to express certain proteins on their surface, pull antibodies. Antibodies in turn attracts white blood cells, which attack the skin cells, which causes inflammation. Apoptosis or programmed cell death, usually occurs at this time, but strengthened in lupus patients, which increases inflammation.
This sensitivity causes rashes and other skin conditions such as sunburn. In patients with systemic lupus, photosensitivity can also trigger flares, including joint pain and fatigue. If left unchecked, this condition can lead to skin cancer. Certain medications, such as tetracycline antibiotics (often used to fight acne), may increase the risk of a lupus patient's photosensitivity. Thus, lupus patients are instructed to take care of their skin and avoid the sun.
So, before it's too late, it is be better if you beware of lupus symptoms. If you suspect your health condition according to the three or four characteristics above, it is advisable to consult a doctor immediately and do the ANA test.
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Writen by:
Mr Soed - Saturday, August 30, 2014
