Lupus (Skin Rash) - How Can It Be Treated?
Lupus is an inflammatory disease that is chronic in nature. It occurs when your tissues and organs are attacked by your body's own immunity system. The inflammation that this disease causes can affect the other parts of your body as well, like the joints, kidneys, skin, brain etc. It is often difficult to diagnose because it lacks distinct symptoms. However, one of the most identifiable symptoms of lupus is a ring-shaped rash on the face.
Lupus can be caused by a number of factors like:
- Excessive exposure to sunlight
- Susceptibility towards infections
- Certain anti-seizure, blood pressure and antibiotic medicines
Symptoms
The symptoms are neither distinct nor regular. However, some common symptoms could be-
- Fatigue and fever
- Pain in the joints, stiffness and swelling
- Ring-shaped facial rash
- Skin lesions on exposure to the sun
- Chest pain and shortness of breath
What else can lupus lead to?
Several complications may arise if lupus is left untreated. Some of them are-
- Kidney damage and failure
- Hallucination, seizures, strokes and several other problems associated with the brain and the central nervous system
- Anemia, blood clotting, vasculitis etc.
- Increased susceptibility to pneumonia
- Increased risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases
Treatment
Lupus is a significantly dangerous disease and medical help should be immediately sought if you think that you have symptoms associated with it. Treatment depends on the signs and symptoms of individual patients.