Lupus - Symptom, Treatment And Causes

Lupus is a condition which is chronic inflammatory in nature and affects the immune system. The tissue and organs are attacked by immune cells. Lupus induced inflammation can affect the various body systems like the skin, kidneys, joints, lungs ,brain , blood cells and the heart. Diagnosis for lupus may be difficult as its symptoms can resemble other diseases. The characteristic symptom of lupus is a rash on the face. The rash looks like a butterfly unfolding its wings on both cheeks and occurs in most cases. Some people have a tendency of acquiring lupus and may be induced by sunlight, medications or infections. Lupus doesn’t have a cure, but treatment might help in controlling the symptoms.

When healthy body tissue gets attacked by the immune system, lupus can take place. Lupus is likely to result from environmental and genetic factors. An environmental trigger might cause lupus in someone already having a genetic predisposition for lupus. In most cases though, the cause for lupus is not known.

There are four types of lumps that have been identified by the scientists, namely:

1. Lupus dermatitis: They develop on the skin in the form of a rash.
2. Systemic Lupus erythematosus (SLE): This type of lump does not show any external symptoms but rather develop internally.
3. Drug-induced Lupus: Unlike the other two types, these do not cause any medical condition but rather develop due to an allergic reaction to the medication. The symptoms may resemble SEL but the cause is different.
4. Neonatal Lupus: Identical to SEL, these types of lumps are often found in infants more than adults as they get transferred during pregnancy from the infected mother.

11 signs of lumps are:

• Low blood cell counts.
• Tenderness.
• Butterfly-shaped rash.
• Inflammation in heart or lung lining.
• Mouth ulcers.
• Arthritis and swelling in two or more joints.
• Raised red patches on your skin.
• A nervous problem like seizures.
• Light sensitivity.
• Urine with excess protein.
• Excess of antinuclear antibodies in the blood.

There is no solid evidence that may prove the direct relationship between stress and lumps. Although the medical history of some patients has shown triggers of lumps after an exceedingly stressful situation. From daily life situations like being stuck in traffic and minor conflicts at work or home to major stressful events like the death of a close one or major accident.

It is advisable to practice stress relief techniques in order to avoid any flare-up in the first place.

• Sunlight- Sun exposure might induce skin lesions in lupus or may trigger internal responses in people susceptible to it
• Infections- Acquiring an infection might initiate lupus or may result in a relapse for some
• Medications- Lupus might be triggered due to few kinds of anti-seizure medicines, antibiotics and blood pressure medicines

Medicine induced lupus starts fading away as and when the medicine causing it, is stopped. Your general physician might refer you further to a diagnostic specialist for rheumatology and arthritic problems. Since the lupus symptoms might resemble quite a few other health conditions, patience is necessary during the diagnostic procedure. A lot of other illnesses must be ruled out before confirming a lupus diagnosis.

• Heart and CVS - Lupus might result in blood problems, like anemia and an increased blood clotting or bleeding risks. It may also result in blood vessel inflammation (also known as vasculitis).
• Lungs- Having lupus increases the likelihood for developing a chest cavity lining infection and makes breathing painful. You may be more prone for developing pneumonia.
• Heart – Lupus may result in heart muscle inflammation. The chances of having heart attacks and cardiovascular disease increases.
• Kidneys- Lupus may seriously damage the kidneys and may result in kidney failure. Generalized itching, nausea, chest pain, leg swelling and vomiting are all signs of kidney problems.

The root cause that is behind the development of lumps is quite vast. There is no specific reason for the lumps which makes it worse if left untreated.

In case one develops lumps there is a fair chance one might get flare-ups with anything which may involve inflammation in different parts of the body including the kidney, lungs, and heart.

It is advisable to have regular checkups and diagnoses in order to identify the root cause to avoid any life-threatening situation.

There are no direct studies that show the effects of alcohol on lumps, however medical experts believe that regular consumption of alcohol over the optimum limit can cause weakening of the internal organs, making it more vulnerable towards the escalation of this medical condition.