Lupus - Symptoms, Causes and Prevention

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Lupus in Urdu

مردوں کے مقابلے میں خواتین کو لپس کا زیادہ خطرہ ہےاور نوجوان لڑکیاں خاص طور پر اس کا شکار ہیں۔ اس بیماری کی وجہ سے انفیکشن جسم کے نظام، جیسے جوڑوں، جلد، گردوں، خون کے خلیات، دماغ، دل اور پھیپھڑوں پر اثر انداز کر سکتے ہیں.

لیپس کی تشخیص کرنا مشکل ہوسکتا ہے کیونکہ اس کے علامات بہت سی دوسری بیماریوں سے ملتی جلتی ہیں۔

Doctors For Lupus

Summary about Lupus in English

Lupus is a condition in which the immune system backtracks and attacks the cells and tissues of the body which are healthy, resulting in the damage of several body parts. This is why lupus is classified as an autoimmune disease. It is not contagious and cannot be transmitted through any contact whether sexual or not from one person to the other.

Nevertheless, it is possible that pregnant women having lupus transfer it to the child at birth. These cases of lupus are known as neonatal lupus. Because of its very complex nature, lupus is called the disease of thousand faces.

Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms are often similar to those of other conditions. The most obvious sign of lupus, formation of the facial rash like the wings of a butterfly that develops on both cheeks, appears in many cases of lupus, but not in all. Some people are born with a tendency to develop lupus, which can be caused by infections, certain medications or even the sun. Although lupus cannot be cured, treatments can lessen the symptoms.

Symptoms of Lupus

There are several symptoms and they might differ on an individual basis. Some of the most frequently occurring symptoms are

• Joint pain or swelling
• Pain in muscles
• Fever without any apparent cause
• Red rashes, most often on the face (also called the "butterfly rash") Reddish rash, most frequently appearing on the face
• Pain in chest during a deep breath
• Loss of hair
• Fingers and/or toes turn pale or purple
• Increased sensitivity to the sunlight.
• Area around the eyes or legs swells up.
• Ulcers form in the mouth
• Glands swell up
• Elevated tiredness

Symptoms have a tendency to come and go. The appearance of these symptoms is known as a flare and they have varying levels of severity.

Causes of Lupus

There is no single cause for lupus but rather an interlinked web of causal factors such as genetics, hormones, the physical environment and aspects of the immune system. A big role in triggering this condition could be played by environmental aspects that include viral and bacterial infections or extreme emotional turmoil or too much exposure to the sun. Furthermore, drugs like hydralazine and procainamide might trigger lupus. Elevated levels of estrogen can also worsen the lupus symptoms.

While researchers have not discovered any on particular gene that triggers lupus, the genetic component to the disease is rather strong.

Risk Factors of Lupus

You’re more likely to develop lupus if: The likelihood of an individual developing lupus increases by nine folds if that person is a woman. The age bracket which is the most susceptible to symptoms of lupus is from 15 to 44 years. If the individual has a family member who also suffers from lupus, his/her chances of developing the same condition become even higher as this disease have a tendency to run in families. Moreover, when the family of an individual has an African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Native American or Pacific Island origin, there chance of having lupus in the future increases.

Preventive Measures of Lupus

While lupus prevention is not a surefire thing, the avoidance of the aspects which cause lupus can certainly be done. One can restrict how much time they spend in the sunlight if that sunlight became the reason for a rash or wear a potent sunscreen when going out. Or one could avoid drugs that raises the person’s sensitivity to the sun. Managing stress also helps prevent the expression of lupus symptoms.

Other than these measures, one could also avoid people who have infections and get enough sleep hours every night.

Types of Lupus

There are many types of lupus

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This is the most frequently occurring kind of lupus. It has varying degrees of severity and can possibly cause changes in multiple body parts
• Discoid lupus. This is characterized by a very persistent red rash.
• Subacute cutaneous lupus. In this type, sores appear after exposure to the sun.
• Drug-induced lupus. As the name suggests, this lupus is triggered by some medicines and it typically stops once the medication is stopped.
• Neonatal lupus. This type, which affects newborns, is a rare one. Mothers with lupus transmit it to their children at the time of birth.