The Diversity of Lupus Symptoms

Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease that generates a wide variety of symptoms. The symptoms produced by lupus may range from mild to severe and generally occur in flares, unpredictably aggravating or ameliorating over time. Some of the common symptoms of lupus are: pronounced fatigue, pain and swelling of the joints, skin rashes and fever. At skin level, lupus often causes the occurrence of the ?butterfly rash?, which appears across the nose and cheeks. Although the butterfly rash is the most common rash characteristic to lupus, the disease can cause many other different types of rashes located in various regions of the body: face and ears, scalp, neck, arms, shoulders, hands, chest and back.

The autoimmune disease can also produce symptoms such as chest pain, increased sensitivity to sunlight, alopecia (hair loss), anemia or leucopenia (decrease in the number of red blood cells, respectively white blood cells), and paleness or cyanosis of the fingers and toes (due to poor oxygenation of the body extremities). Patients with lupus often suffer from headaches, vertigo (dizziness), decreased vision, poor concentration, psychological conditions (depression) and sometimes even seizures and faints. The progression of the disease is unpredictable and symptoms may come and go unexpectedly. Over time, patients with lupus may experience different sets of symptoms, occurring in flares and varying in intensity and duration.

When lupus affects the lymphatic system of the body, the most common symptoms of lupus are swelling and pain of the lymph nodes throughout the body. Most cases of lupus either affect the lymphatic system, the musculoskeletal system or the skin. When lupus affects the musculoskeletal system, the most common symptoms are muscular pain, fatigue, swelling and stiffness of the joints. When confined to the skin, lupus commonly generates rashes, inflammation and irritation of the skin.

Lupus often causes kidney affections such as nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys), interfering in the process of excretion and determining the accumulation of toxins inside the body. Lupus patients who also suffer from kidney impairments usually require strong medication treatments in order to prevent the occurrence of serious complications.

In many cases, lupus affects the circulatory system of the body, causing inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis), anemia or leucopenia (decrease in red and white blood cells). Lupus may also lead to the occurrence of thrombocytopenia, a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood, condition that interferes in the process of blood coagulation, increasing the risk of bleeding.

When lupus affects the central nervous system, the most common symptoms are dizziness, headaches, temporary memory loss (amnesia), decreased vision, or neuropsychological problems (depression, unpredictable behavioral changes). Some of these previously mentioned symptoms aren?t solely caused by lupus; often they occur as a result of emotional stress and prolonged lupus medication. The majority of these symptoms can be reversed by interrupting the treatment or reducing the dose of medication.

At pulmonary level, patients with lupus may suffer from pleuritis (inflammation of the interior lining of the chest), condition that causes pronounced discomfort and pain, especially when taking deep breaths. Patients with lupus are also very susceptible of developing pneumonia. At coronary level, patients with lupus may suffer from coronary vasculitis (inflammation of the arteries that deliver blood to the heart), myocarditis and endocarditis (inflammation of the heart itself) and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart protective membrane). If discovered in time, the implications of lupus at coronary level can be efficiently reversed with medical treatment.

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The Effects of Lupus at Ocular Level

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a very complex disease that can affect multiple regions of the body, causing a wide range of symptoms. Although the systemic form of lupus can affect virtually any organ system of the human body, the disease commonly involves impairments of the eye. In patients with lupus, the ocular globe itself (eyeball) is affected more often than the ocular orbit (eye socket). When the ocular orbit is also affected, lupus leads to serious inflammation of the conjunctive membrane, soft tissue that covers the eyeball and interior lid. The lids may also become swollen and this type of ocular disease often involves the occurrence of local edema.

Lupus commonly determines the occurrence of ?cotton wool spots? at the level of the retina. The spots are actually edematous regions of the retina, occurring as a result of inappropriate blood flow and thus, poor oxygenation of the eye. Despite the fact that the occurrence of ?cotton wool spots? on the retina is not a direct indicator of lupus in middle-aged and older patients, it clearly reveals the presence of the disease in young patients. Other eye affections characteristic to lupus involve accumulation and deposition of fat cells at the level of the retina, decrease in the arteriolar blood flow and even pronounced obstruction of the eye blood vessels, which often determines loss of visual acuity or temporary blindness.

Patients diagnosed with systemic lupus are often confronted with keratoconjunctivitis sicca as well (also known as the dry eye syndrome), eye disorder that predominantly inflicts persons with autoimmune diseases. This type of eye disorder generates symptoms such as pronounced discomfort, inflammation, itching and burning at ocular level, and often leads to impairments of the lacrimal glands, resulting in decreased tears. On the premises of eye dryness and inappropriate blood circulation, the eye rapidly becomes inflamed and irritated, also increasing the risks of infections.

When keratoconjunctivitis sicca is accompanied by arthritis and symptoms such as dryness of the mucosal linings in the mouth and nose, the disease is referred to as Siogren?s Syndrome. When systemic lupus determines impairments at brain level, the disease causes deterioration of the optic nerve, nystagus (uncontrolled movements of the eye) and even complete blindness. In order to prevent the development of such complications and to reverse the effects of lupus at ocular level, it is imperative to administer the appropriate treatment as soon as possible.

Commonly used medications in treating the ocular complications produced by systemic lupus are salicylates (aspirin-based medications), antimalarials (commonly used medications include chloroquine-aralen, plaquenil and resochin), antibiotics and steroids. Steroid medications are extensively used in treating eye disorders characteristic to lupus, cortisone drugs being considered an efficient form of treatment at present. However, steroids can produce serious side-effects in patients with lupus, and thus such forms of treatment are not recommendable for long-term use.

So if you want to find more about Lupus or more details about symptoms of lupus please follow this link http://www.lupus-guide.com.