Lupus Information

Lupus, also known as systemic lupus erythematosis, or SLE, is an auto-immune disorder of the body in which chronic inflammation develops, and the body attacks itself instead of invaders such as infection and cancer. Lupus occurs in people of all ages, sexes, and ethnicities, and it appears different in every person that suffers from it. Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can mimic those of other diseases, and persons afflicted with it may not be able to quite pinpoint what is going except that something is not right.

Lupus information addresses symptoms such as muscle soreness or fatigue, which could be attributed to a lot of things. Lupus can continue to affect the skin, joints, organs, and nervous system in alternating patterns of remission and relapse from mild to severe. Medical specialists known as rheumatologists are very familiar with the disease and are a great resource for lupus information.

Lupus may be a suspected diagnosis, but until it is confirmed all else is just speculation. Lupus information discusses blood tests that can be performed to detect lupus, such as the antinuclear antibody, or ANA, which is detectable in most people with lupus. Other tests are then conducted to confirm the diagnosis; the presence of anti-double strand DNA (dsDNA) and anti-Smith (Sm) antibodies are definitive. Current treatment strategies used depend on the severity of symptoms.

For milder cases involving skin rashes, joint pain and fatigue, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may work just fine, but for more severe cases of lupus, strong corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs may be needed, and many times a combination of drugs is used. However, these medications can have severe side effects, such as hypertension, increased risk of infection, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and osteoporosis. When lupus symptoms subside medications can be decreased or discontinued. This lupus information was found on the websites listed below.

People who are newly diagnosed can find a great deal of information on lupus from their physician of course, and more lupus info is widely available on the internet. A good site full of information about a lot of different topics is www.about.com. Just follow the link to www.arthritis.about.com to go directly to lupus information. Another informative site is sponsored by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at www.niams.nih.gov, where you can find lupus information regarding new research, treatments, general facts, and answers to many questions that the newly diagnosed may have.

Ongoing research projects sponsored by NIAMS also need volunteers to participate in trials for new lupus treatments. People can live with lupus and new medications are proving to be effective allowing sufferers to have a better quality of life.