What is Lupus? by Andreas Rodriguez-Kupres
Lupus. . . what is it? Put simply, it’s an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks its tissues. The body thinks that its tissue is the enemy, so it attacks.
Lupus can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. The symptoms cause fatigue, anxiety, clinical depression, weight loss, rashes, and more. One of the most noticeable traits of the disease is a butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks, amongst other things, such as fever, fatigue, joint, and muscle pain, fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold, and skin lesions.
While the symptoms and effects it has on a body may seem bad enough, there are numerous ways lupus can affect psychological health. Before diagnosis and throughout finding a working treatment plan, many experience anxiety and clinical depression. While these symptoms can be associated with other diseases as well, a person experiencing them should contact their primary care physician. Once treated, the symptoms are quite minimal; however, those with the condition are prone to flare-ups. These flare-ups are unpredictable, but with proper care and treatment, reduce the severity and amount.
Studies show that the disease comes partly from genetics but also from the environment one live in. Some researchers argue that the disease itself may stem from other diseases, such as mono. Unfortunately, those with this disease will live with it for the rest of their lives; however, treatment can make it much more manageable. On the bright side, the disease does not shorten your lifespan, meaning those with lupus can lead a pretty normal life if treatedproperly and they have the right diet.
What happens if lupus is not treated? When not treated, the disease can cause severe kidney damage, behavioral problems, anemia, shortness of breath, painful breathing, and the heart may enlarge, which then increases the risk of a heart attack. Some of these things can be reversed once treatment is started; however, others are irreversible.
Lupus is not a disorder that can be “seen” from the outside; therefore, while you may not know what others have going on in their lives, make sure to be kind. You just never know what others are dealing with.
Lupus can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. The symptoms cause fatigue, anxiety, clinical depression, weight loss, rashes, and more. One of the most noticeable traits of the disease is a butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks, amongst other things, such as fever, fatigue, joint, and muscle pain, fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold, and skin lesions.
While the symptoms and effects it has on a body may seem bad enough, there are numerous ways lupus can affect psychological health. Before diagnosis and throughout finding a working treatment plan, many experience anxiety and clinical depression. While these symptoms can be associated with other diseases as well, a person experiencing them should contact their primary care physician. Once treated, the symptoms are quite minimal; however, those with the condition are prone to flare-ups. These flare-ups are unpredictable, but with proper care and treatment, reduce the severity and amount.
Studies show that the disease comes partly from genetics but also from the environment one live in. Some researchers argue that the disease itself may stem from other diseases, such as mono. Unfortunately, those with this disease will live with it for the rest of their lives; however, treatment can make it much more manageable. On the bright side, the disease does not shorten your lifespan, meaning those with lupus can lead a pretty normal life if treatedproperly and they have the right diet.
What happens if lupus is not treated? When not treated, the disease can cause severe kidney damage, behavioral problems, anemia, shortness of breath, painful breathing, and the heart may enlarge, which then increases the risk of a heart attack. Some of these things can be reversed once treatment is started; however, others are irreversible.
Lupus is not a disorder that can be “seen” from the outside; therefore, while you may not know what others have going on in their lives, make sure to be kind. You just never know what others are dealing with.