Four Frequently Asked Questions About Lupus
Four frequently asked questions about lupus
Lupus is a chronic health condition that is prone to cause inflammation along with various other symptoms. Lupus affects every person differently; therefore, the diagnosis and treatment also tend to vary as different people experience different symptoms and severity.
It is an autoimmune disease that can potentially threaten one’s life. The disease can also cause a permanent damage to the organ that has been affected.
What are the causes of lupus?
Doctors are unsure about the exact cause of lupus; however, they think that the combination of the factors mentioned below can cause it:
- Environment : The potential environmental triggers that may cause lupus include smoking, stress, and exposure to toxins like silica dust.
- Hormones : Some studies suggest that abnormal levels of certain hormones like increased levels of estrogen can cause lupus.
- Genetics : Having a family history of lupus may put a person at a higher risk of being diagnosed with the condition.
- Medications : Prolonged use of certain medications like hydralazine, quinidine, and procainamide. These medications are linked to being a potential cause of lupus.
What are the signs and symptoms of lupus?
The signs and symptoms of lupus are difficult to detect as they are similar to various other health conditions.
- The symptoms of lupus vary according to the parts of the body that have been affected by it. The symptoms can suddenly appear or disappear, and in some cases, a person with lupus can also experience permanent symptoms. However, this varies from person to person.
- Some of the common early signs and symptoms of lupus include skin rash, fever, body aches, shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion, fatigue, joint pain, skin lesions, chronic dry eyes, headaches, and memory loss.
- Moreover, the later symptoms of lupus can include nephritis—inflammation of the kidneys. A person with lupus may also experience other extreme symptoms such as dark-colored urine, high blood pressure, and blood in the urine.
How does a lupus skin rash look like?
A lupus skin rash is one of the most common symptoms of lupus. About half of the people diagnosed with lupus experience skin rash or lesions.
- A butterfly-shaped rash appears over the bridge of the nose and on both the cheeks of the people who have been diagnosed with lupus. The rash can appear suddenly after exposure to sunlight or just before a flare-up.
- Lupus can also cause non-itchy lesions in other areas of the body, but lupus rarely can cause hives.
- Most people with lupus are usually sensitive to the sun or even artificial lightning.
- One can also look up lupus skin rashes pictures online to get a clear idea how the rash would look like. Moreover, one should consult the doctor immediately if the lupus skin rash pictures and the rash they have on their body seem to match.
What are the risk factors for lupus?
It is important to note that not everyone who has any of the risk factors will develop lupus; however, the risk remain high as compared to those who don’t have these factors. Some of the common risk factors for lupus are as follows:
- Women are comparatively at a higher risk of being diagnosed with lupus than men.
- Members of certain ethnic groups such as Hispanic, Asian-American, African-American, Pacific Islander, or Native American are more prone to developing lupus.
- Lupus is usually diagnosed between the age of 15 and 44. People who belong to this age group are at a higher risk of developing the condition.
- People who already have had a family history of lupus are more prone to be diagnosed by the condition than the ones who don’t.
