Essay: Lupus

Lupus denotes the scientific illness occurring when the immune systems of an individual attack its own organs and tissues. This leads to inflammation that affects the body. The inflammation attained from lupus could affect numerous different body parts comprising blood cells, joints, brain, skin, lungs, heart, and kidneys. Lupus can be complex to treat as its symptoms and signs normally mimic those linked to other illnesses. There are individuals who are born with the tendency towards attaining lupus that might be triggered by various drugs, infections, or even sunlight. While there, lacks a cure for Lupus, treatments could aid in controlling symptoms. Lupus can be attributed as a chronic autoimmune illness that could damage any body part. Chronic signifies that its symptoms and signs tend to be prolonged (Crow, 2014). Autoimmunity depicts an individual’s immune system failing to differentiate between the body’s healthy tissues and foreign invaders. This leads to its developing autoantibodies that destroy and attack healthy tissues.
Lupus has four different types. The types comprise the cutaneous lupus erythematosus, systemic lupus erythematosus, neonatal lupus, and drug-induced lupus erythematosus. The systemic lupus erythematosus is the most general kind of lupus and is what many individuals notion as lupus. Systemic lupus could be severe or mild. The cutaneous lupus erythematosus is limited to the skin. Despite cutaneous lupus leading to numerous kinds of obdurate lesions and rashes, the most general is depicted as discoid rash and is scaly, red, and raised, but never itchy. Areas linked with rash seem to be like circles or disks (Kuhn, Landmann, & Bonsmann, 2016). Another common instance of cutaneous lupus is the rash across the nose bridge, or over the cheek, regarded as the butterfly rash. About 10% of individuals with cutaneous lupus might develop systemic lupus. Other sores or rashes might appear on the scalp, face, or neck, vagina, mouth, or the nose. Hair changes and loss in the pigment, or skin color are cutaneous lupus symptoms. The drug-induced lupus erythematosus depicts a lupus-like illness caused by specific prescription drugs.
The drug-induced lupus erythematosus symptoms are similar to those linked with systemic lupus, but it hardly affects key organs. The drugs normally linked with drug-induced lupus erythematosus comprise procainamide, Hydralazine, and Isoniazid. This kind of lupus is more prevalent in men as they consume these drugs regularly (Lateef, & Petri, 2013). The neonatal lupus is never an actual kind of lupus. It can be attributed as rare condition-affecting infants of women having lupus and is led by antibodies from the mother that acts upon in the womb upon the infant. During birth, the infant might have liver problems, skin rash, or low blood cell counts though these symptoms disappear entirely after a few months with no lasting impacts. The infants with neonatal lupus could also have a severe heart defect. There are various aspects that cause lupus. Many and not all the scientists’ notion that lupus develops in regards to a combination of aspects both outside and inside the body comprising environment, hormones, and genetics.
The body’s messengers are hormones (Mohan, & Putterman, 2015). They regulate numerous body functions. Since nine out of 10 happenings of lupus are in women, researchers have viewed the relationship between lupus and estrogen. While women and men both produce estrogen, in female its production is greater. Many females have extended lupus symptoms during pregnancy of before menstrual periods, as the production of estrogen is high. That might signify that estrogen someway regulates lupus severity. Researchers have currently identified over 50 genes that they link to lupus. These genes are extensively common viewed in individuals with lupus than in those lacking the illness, and while numerous genes have never been indicated to directly lead to lupus, they are thought to lead to it (Yu, Gershwin, & Chang, 2014). Many researchers currently believe that an environment agent like a chemical or virus randomly met by a genetically vulnerable individual act to prompt the disease.
There has not been a specific environmental agent identified by researchers, but the theory remains likely. Whereas the environmental aspects that could prompt lupus and lead to flares are not completely understood, the most frequently cited are exposure to silica dust use in industrial settings or agriculture, infections, and ultraviolet light. Lupus, as defined, is an autoimmune illness and is never contagious, as it cannot be passed from one individual to the other. Autoimmune illnesses are characterized by the immune system malfunction (Crow, 2014). Due to this malfunction, a person’s immune system fails to recognize between the body’s tissues, cells, and those of the foreign invader, like viruses. Rather than just producing antibodies for attacking antigens, a person’s immune system develops autoantibodies that bout the immune system itself. Environmental and genetic aspects like infections and certain drugs might prompt the illness in those predisposed to lupus.
There are numerous diverse testes undertaken for the detection of physical conditions or changes in one’s body that happen with lupus. Every test outcome adds extra information to the doctor’s picture if creating regarding the illness. The most common kinds of tests one may be requested to get in the urine and blood tests (Kuhn, Landmann, & Bonsmann, 2016). It is significant to understand these general laboratory tests as a way of being confident when working with the doctor to better comprehend your health. The common test run comprises routine blood tests. Normally, the doctor will initially request a full blood count. The blood counts measure the levels of both the white and red blood cells. In situations of lupus, these blood tests might show low numbers. The other test is the antibody blood. To neutralize and attack foreign substance like viruses and bacteria, the body uses antibodies.
The antibodies made by the body against its individual tissues and cells have a huge function in lupus. Numerous of those antibodies are found in a group or panel of tests order at a similar time. The test heard about the most is regarded as the antinuclear antibodies test (Lateef, & Petri, 2013). Ninety-seven percent of the individuals having lupus for ANA will test positive. Urine tests are also used for testing lupus. These tests are very significant as lupus could attack the kidney normally without warning signals. The kidney does process the body’s waste materials. A urine sample test could show issues with the mode the kidneys are functioning. The other test is the tissue biopsies. A biopsy process regards the removal of a small part of the tissue, which the doctor looks under the microscope. The kidney and skin are the most general sites biopsied in an individual having lupus. The biopsy outcome could reveal the inflammation amount and any damage caused to the tissue.
Further tissue sample tests could detect the autoimmune antibodies and decide if lupus of another aspect like medication or infection is accountable (Yu, Gershwin, & Chang, 2014). The test results would vary depending on the test undertaken. If it ANA test, then it would illustrate the rate at which both the white and red blood cells are reduced. If the result illustrates reduced white and red blood cells, it is an indication of lupus. Focusing on the urine tests, if the patient has lupus then the result would signify that kidneys have malfunctioned. The results signify that the urine has more aspects that could have been recycled by the kidneys. The biopsy would also reveal that the kidney and skin have been damaged. This will lead to the result illustrating positivity for lupus.
There are several symptoms linked to lupus. These symptoms are said to differ from one individual to the other. Some individuals possess a few, while others have many. Additionally, there are diverse symptoms linked to lupus as the illness could affect any portion of the body (Mohan, & Putterman, 2015). Some of the most common symptoms comprise skin rash, seizures, achy joints, swollen joints, fluid accumulation and ankle swelling, unexplained fever, hair loss, extreme or prolonged fatigue, nose or mouth sores, a butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks, purple or pale toes or fingers from stress or cold, sun sensitivity, and pain in the chest during heavy breathing. The feeling that one has when having lupus differs between persons. The explained symptoms might differ in persons and thus differs in regards to the amount or degree of lupus. Several diseases are tied to lupus. Among them comprise scleroderma.
Since lupus affects the tissues, any connective tissue illness might be linked to lupus (Crow, 2014). Physicians used the word overlap for the description of illnesses. Individuals with lupus have overlap illness. These overlaps are said to be connective tissue illness and scleroderma is one of the connective tissue illnesses. For a person who is already sick, they are at risk of attaining lupus. This is because when one is sick, their red and white blood cells are fighting off viruses or bacteria in the body. Since the cells are fighting these foreign aspects, then lupus could have a way of affecting an individual. Therefore, when one is sick, they are at a higher chance of attaining or falling down with lupus.
A blood smear depicts the drop of blood thinly spread on a glass slide then treated with a unique stain and there are evaluation and examination of the blood cells on the slide (Kuhn, Landmann, & Bonsmann, 2016). A blood smear depicts the cell snapshot is present. Lupus erythematosus was testing of diagnosing systemic lupus. In a blood smear, the lupus erythematosus is present after 10 or more lupus erythematosus cells characteristics are viewed during the 15-minute search, linked to the presence of amorphous, extracellular, or nuclear masses. During a blood smear, there would be the presence of abnormal cells. This test looks for the blood cells abnormalities. The abnormalities in the blood smear test focus on white cells, red cells, and platelets. The abnormalities that are present in the blood smear test comprise the shape and number of the cells.
The abnormalities in regards to shape and number of the cells offer the doctors with a go-ahead of diagnosing the various blood disorders or the other medical situations (Lateef, & Petri, 2013). The abnormalities linked could be linked to travel of oxygen in the blood. In the population, lupus is said to be prevalent in individuals who are African-American, Asians, Latinos/Hispanics, Alaska Natives, Native Americans, other Pacific Islanders, and native Hawaiians. Lupus is said to affect more women who are between 15 and 44 years of age. Women are said to generally have lupus than men. There are several medications prescribed for treating or containing lupus. Among them, comprise anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs are used easing the swelling and joint pains from lupus. The anti-inflammatory drugs used comprise naproxen or ibuprofen. Other drugs that might be used are antimalarial drugs. These medications are used for treating joint pain, skin rashes, and mouth sores.
These drugs might also decline blood clots risks. Other drugs that might be prescribed are corticosteroids (Yu, Gershwin, & Chang, 2014). Corticosteroids are used for weakening the immune response. These drugs might be prescribed if lupus leads to issues in an individual’s brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and blood vessels. Lupus has no cure, though there are various treatment options. In conclusion, lupus is a disease with no cure and which affects the tissues and body organs. The associated symptoms ought to be carefully tested when one thinks they have the disease. Additionally, women between the ages of 15 and 44 should ensure that they test regularly for lupus.
18.2.2019