What are the physical effects of Lupus and does it progress in stages?
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The immune system attacks the body cells and tissue etc. Consequently, leading to inflammation in your body and affecting various parts of your body, such as liver, kidney etc.
But, from personal experience, effects for me included chronic fatigue, rashes, sore joints and inflamation in muscles - can occur esp. through strenuous exercise (I am currently being treated; however, the symptoms still manifest themselves -excluding the sore joints- but obviously to a lesser degree.
It really, really sucks.
ur tired alot,and ur immune systen attacks itself!!
Lupus is different for everyone. It doesn't necessarily progress. I was dx'd 12 yrs ago and haven't progressed, thankfully. Feel free to email me.
Please go to the Lupus Foundation of America site www.lupus.org and read all
the information they have. It is the most current information available and
you will learn a lot!
Also, either buy or go to the library and get Dr Daniel Wallace's "The Lupus
Book" 3rd Edition and read it cover to cover.
Dr Wallace explains in layman's terms everything you need to know. just
as the LFA does. The LFA also offers a magazine called Lupus Now which is
full of great info. www.lupusnow.org
The Arthritis Foundation www.arthritis.org also has a lot of helpful
information, a magazine Arthritis Today. There are over 100 forms of
arthritis so there's a lot to learn.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
offers FREE publications. Take advantage. http://catalog.niams.nih.gov/
There is a wonderful lupus manual which is completely free. There are many
other pieces of great info also.
LUPUS: A Patient Guide for Nurses and Other Health Professionals (manual)
Medline: Lupus
offers links to news and resources about the chronic autoimmune disease in
which the immune system, for unknown reasons, becomes hyperactive and
attacks normal tissue.
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lu...
You have to be your own health care advocate. Your doctor is not going to sit down and educate you in regards to lupus, fibro, etc. He/she doesn't have time and most likely doesn't even know where to begin.
Lupus can affect any organ or system in the body. Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks itself causing inflammation and pain. 95 percent will have joint pain and inflammation. Half will have kidney issues. You can read more at the link provided.
Lupus is not progressive, generally, if you follow your treatment regimen and are monitored regularly by your doctor. With treatment 80 to 90 percent of us will live a normal life span. Left untreated, lupus can kill you.
Hi Im Chris, I have Lupus. Your question is very general, but Ill do my best. Ill start with the progression. There really are three different severities of lupus. There is mild, Moderate, and severe to life threatening. For those with Mild Lupus, they may feel some discomport, and mild flare ups, but rarely does it progress, to anything that could be called dangerous or life threatning. usually it will be reactions to their skin, antibodies in their blood, dealing with headaches and joint pain now and again.
For those with moderate Lupus, the may have some organ issues, but their Lupus is usally pretty well controlled wil medication. Primarally, Prednison, plaquinil. and ocassionally a mild immunosuppresent called imuran. They may have flares, but they are usually shorter and not as severe as someone who has a moderate/severe case.
For those of us with heavily moderate to severe cases, we can have major heart, lung, kidney, brain , liver, or any organ damage. we can be hospitalized several times a year. or may go for a couple years without hospitalization. In my case it got to my brain last year I spent 6 months on I Chemo, and it saved me. Personally I see my rheumotoligist monthly, and in between vistits, we usually talk 1-2x in between visits to either add medications, change doses, or address any emergencies that are going on,
For those with very severe Lupus, usually they have Lupus Nephritis (major kidney issues), major heart or lung damage, and are in constand danger. this small % is the group with the highest mortality rate, and the cloest monitored.
In General the most commen effects are photsensitivity, meaning most people can not go in the sun, they get all kinds of rashes, including the butterfly rash across the bridghe of the nose to cheeks, they get brain fog, cognitive problems, headache (mild to severe), joint and muscle pain, fevers, memory problems, deppression, anxiety, dry mouth, mouth head, nose sores, forgetfullness, severe fatigue, inability to do much at one time, severe reactions to various weather changes, higher risks for blood clots, strokes and heart attacks.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, where the body thinks it is under attack from a forgien invader. when it is our own bodies cells gone into overdrive. many times the drugs used are used to supress the hypractivity of our immune system in hopes of slowing down the activity of it attacking itself.
hope this helps
here is the diagnositc critera and some links below
Diagnostic criteria for lupus
The following criteria are used to distinguish lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) from other autoimmune and rheumatic diseases.
A person with 4 of these 11 conditions can be diagnosed with lupus; 3 symptoms suggest that lupus is probably present, and 2 raise the possibility of lupus. Symptoms may be present all at once or appear in succession over a period of time. 1
Butterfly (malar) rash on cheeks
Rash on face, arms, neck, torso (discoid rash)
Skin rashes that result from exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light (photosensitivity)
Mouth or nasal ulcers, usually painless
Joint swelling, stiffness, pain involving two or more joints (arthritis)
Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the lungs (pleuritis) or heart (pericarditis). This inflammation is called serositis.
Abnormalities in urine, such as increased protein or clumps of red blood cells or kidney cells, called cell casts, in the urine
Nervous system problems, such as seizures or psychosis, without known cause
Problems with the blood, such as reduced numbers of red blood cells (anemia), platelets, or white blood cells
Positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test
Signs of increased autoimmunity (antibodies against normal tissue), as shown by laboratory tests
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