Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease and in this condition, your immune system will attack your own tissues and organs. Lupus can affect different systems of your body such joints, kidneys, skin, brain, blood cells, lungs and heart. Sometimes, it can be difficult to diagnose this problem because the signs and symptoms of this disease are similar to other problems. The most distinctive sign of this problem is a facial rash which is similar to the wings of a butterfly. It appears across both cheeks.

Some people may have a tendency of developing lupus. This problem can be triggered by infections, sunlight or some drugs.

Symptoms

The symptoms are difficult to find and it can be different for different people. They may develop suddenly slowly. Those symptoms can be mild or severe. They can also be temporary or permanent. People who suffer from this problem generally have episodes known as flares. They may suddenly appear and then suddenly disappear and then after some time may develop again.

Signs and symptoms of lupus will depend on which body part it has attacked. The most common signs and symptoms of lupus are-

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Butterfly shaped rash on the face. This shape is generally seen on the cheeks and bridge of the nose
• Restoration different parts of the body
• Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
• Screen lesions that appear with sun exposure. They may also get worse from the exposure to sun.
• Fingers and toes may turn white or blue in case of a stressful situation. They may also change color if exposed to cold.
• Shortness of breath
• Dry eyes
• Chest pain
• Headaches, memory loss and confusion

Causes of lupus

As mentioned earlier, lupus problem show up when the immune system attacks healthy tissues of your body and that’s why it is called an autoimmune disease.

It is possible that lupus may occur because of genetics and your environment. Some people may have an inherited predisposition for lupus. When these people come into contact with some elements of the environment lupus may be triggered.

Some of the most common potential triggers are-

Sunlight

If you are exposed to the sun it may start lupus skin lesions. In some people it may trigger an internal response.

Infections

Due to an infection, lupus may be initiated. In some people, relapse of the problem happens due to some infections.

Medications

Some medicines may trigger lupus in some people. Few kinds of blood pressure medicines, ant seizure medicines and antibiotics may trigger lupus in some people. If that is triggered by the medicines, discontinuation of the medicine will get the patient better.

Risk factors

Some of the factors which will increase the risk of lupus are-

Sex-lupus is generally more common in women

Age-even though it is seen that people of different ages can be affected by lupus, it is mostly seen in case of people between the ages of 15 and 45.

Race-lupus is a problem which is mostly seen in case of African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics.

Complications

There may be different complications resulting from lupus. Such inflammation caused by lupus can create problems for kidneys resulting in kidney damage and kidney failure. It can also impact the brain and central nervous system. Blood and blood vessels are also affected by lupus and it can result in different blood problems like any media and higher risk of bleeding or blood clotting. Lupus can also impact your lungs and heart and so it is very important that you see a doctor as soon as possible.

References

1. Proven Lupus Treatment By Dr Gary Levin M. D.
2. Lupus
3. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus)