SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS.

SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
ANSWERS

Systemic ggLupus ggErythematosus gg- ggAnswer ggSLE ggis gga ggchronic gginflammatory
ggimmune ggdisorder ggaffecting ggthe ggskin ggand ggother ggbody ggorgans. ggAntibodies
ggto ggDNA ggand ggRNA ggcause ggan ggautoimmune gginflammatory ggresponse,
ggresulting ggin ggswelling ggand ggpain. ggIt ggis ggmost ggcommon ggin ggyoung ggwomen,
ggand gghas gga ggstrong gggenetic ggfactor. ggThe ggetiology ggis ggnot ggknown


SLE ggcharacterized ggby ggperiods ggof gg- ggAnswer ggremission ggand ggexacerbation

autoantibody ggproduction ggresults ggfrom gg- ggAnswer gghyperreactivity ggof ggB
ggcells(humoral ggimmune ggresponse)


SLE ggautoantibodies ggreact ggwith ggtheir ggcorresponding ggantigen ggto ggform ggimmune
ggcomplexes, ggwhich ggare ggthen ggdeposited ggin ggthe: gg- ggAnswer ggconnective
ggtissues ggof ggblood ggvessels, gglymphatic ggvessels, ggand ggother ggtissues


frequent ggsite ggof ggcomplex ggdeposition ggand ggdamage ggoccur ggin ggthe gg- ggAnswer
ggkidneys


Systemic ggLupus gg- ggAnswer ggSystemic gglupus ggis ggthe ggmost ggcommon ggform ggof
gglupus, ggand ggis ggwhat ggmost ggpeople ggmean ggwhen ggthey ggrefer ggto gg"lupus."
ggSystemic gglupus ggcan ggbe ggmild ggor ggsevere. ggSome ggof ggthe ggmore ggserious
ggcomplications gginvolving ggmajor ggorgan ggsystems ggare:


inflammation ggof ggthe ggkidneys gg(lupus ggnephritis), ggwhich ggcan ggaffect ggthe ggbody's
ggability ggto ggfilter ggwaste ggfrom ggthe ggblood ggand ggcan ggbe ggso ggdamaging ggthat
ggdialysis ggor ggkidney ggtransplant ggmay ggbe ggneeded gg
ggan ggincrease ggin ggblood ggpressure ggin ggthe gglungs gg(pulmonary gghypertension) gg
gginflammation ggof ggthe ggnervous ggsystem ggand ggbrain, ggwhich ggcan ggcause
ggmemory ggproblems, ggconfusion, ggheadaches, ggand ggstrokes


SLE ggTriggers gg- ggAnswer ggWhile gga ggperson's gggenes ggmay ggincrease ggthe
ggchance ggthat gghe ggor ggshe ggwill ggdevelop gglupus, ggit ggtakes ggsome ggkind ggof
ggenvironmental ggtrigger ggto ggset ggoff ggthe ggillness ggor ggto ggbring ggon gga ggflare.
ggExamples gginclude:

, • ggultraviolet ggrays ggfrom ggthe ggsun gg
• ggultraviolet ggrays ggfrom ggfluorescent gglight ggbulbs gg
• ggsulfa ggdrugs, ggwhich ggmake gga ggperson ggmore ggsensitive ggto ggthe ggsun, ggsuch
ggas: ggBactrim® ggand ggSeptra® gg(trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole); ggsulfisoxazole
gg(Gantrisin®); ggtolbutamide gg(Orinase®); ggsulfasalazine gg(Azulfidine®); ggdiuretics gg
• ggsun-sensitizing ggtetracycline ggdrugs ggsuch ggas ggminocycline gg(Minocin®) gg
• ggpenicillin ggor ggother ggantibiotic ggdrugs ggsuch ggas: ggamoxicillin gg(Amoxil®);
ggampicillin gg(Ampicillin ggSodium ggADD-Vantage®); ggcloxacillin gg(Cloxapen®) gg
• ggan gginfection gg
• gga ggcold ggor gga ggviral ggillness gg
• ggexhaustion gg
• ggan gginjury gg
• ggemotional ggstress, ggsuch ggas gga ggdivorce, ggillness, ggdeath ggin ggthe ggfamily, ggor
ggother gglife ggcomplications gg
• gganything ggthat ggcauses ggstress ggto ggthe ggbody, ggsuch ggas ggsurgery, ggphysical
ggharm, ggpregnancy, ggor gggiving ggbirth
Although ggmany ggseemingly ggunrelated ggfactors ggcan ggtrigger ggthe ggonset ggof gglupus
ggin gga ggsusceptible ggperson, ggscientists gghave ggnoted ggsome ggcommon ggfeatures
ggamong ggmany ggpeople ggwho gghave gglupus, ggincluding:
• ggexposure ggto ggthe ggsun gg
• ggan gginfection gg
• ggbeing ggpregnant gg
• gggiving ggbirth gg
• gga ggdrug ggtaken ggto ggtreat ggan ggillness

Clients ggwith ggactive ggdisease gghave ggan ggincreased ggrisk ggfor gg- ggAnswer
gginfections


Early ggmanifestations gginclude gg- ggAnswer ggBecause gglupus ggcan ggaffect ggso ggmany
ggdifferent ggorgans, gga ggwide ggrange ggof ggsymptoms ggcan ggoccur. ggThese
ggsymptoms ggmay ggcome ggand gggo, ggand ggdifferent ggsymptoms ggmay ggappear ggat
ggdifferent ggtimes ggduring ggthe ggcourse ggof ggthe ggdisease.
The ggmost ggcommon ggsymptoms ggof gglupus, ggwhich ggare ggthe ggsame ggfor ggfemales
ggand ggmales, ggare:
• ggextreme ggfatigue gg(tiredness) gg
• ggheadaches gg
• ggpainful ggor ggswollen ggjoints gg
• ggfever gg
• gganemia gg(low ggnumbers ggof ggred ggblood ggcells ggor gghemoglobin, ggor gglow ggtotal
ggblood ggvolume) gg
• ggswelling gg(edema) ggin ggfeet, gglegs, gghands, ggand/or ggaround ggeyes gg
• ggpain ggin ggchest ggon ggdeep ggbreathing gg(pleurisy) gg
• ggbutterfly-shaped ggrash ggacross ggcheeks ggand ggnose gg
• ggsun- ggor gglight-sensitivity gg(photosensitivity) gg
• gghair ggloss gg
• ggabnormal ggblood ggclotting gg