Lupus is an autoimmune illness. This indicates that the immune system “attacks” the body in error, resulting in inflammation and discomfort throughout the body. Although there is no known cure for this condition, its symptoms may be managed well by appropriate therapy. This illness is chronic.
Despite the fact that evidence of it dates back to the 5th century B.C., the collection of signs and symptoms that characterize it did not have a name until the 13th century. The word “lupus” originates from the Latin word for “wolf” due to the fact that the symptoms that it creates on the skin reminded medical professionals of the bites of this animal.
Most Common Symptoms of Lupus
Because the symptoms of this autoimmune illness may differ quite a bit from one individual to the next, it is one of its distinguishing features that there is no universally accepted indicator of its onset. On the other hand, some of the most common symptoms are as follows:
- Joint pain or swelling
- muscle discomfort
- Pain when breathing deeply
- Skin rashes, usually on the face. It is characteristic that these marks appear in the form of a butterfly.
- Hair loss
- Fever for no reason
- extreme fatigue
- sun sensitivity
Flare-ups, also known as episodes of increased symptom severity, are something that are common for those who suffer from lupus. After each of these outbreaks comes a time of remission, during which the symptoms become less severe or perhaps go away entirely.
Some Potential Reasons
It is not yet understood what exactly triggers the beginning of lupus in a patient. Due to the fact that it is an autoimmune illness, it is generally accepted that its symptoms manifest themselves when the immune system targets healthy tissues. At this time, we have only outlined a small number of the potential events that may cause this to take place. Some of them are as follows:
- Infections: Being exposed to an infection may either bring on the start of lupus or provoke flare-ups in patients who already have the disease.
- Hormonal changes: Hormonal shifts may have an effect on how well the immune system works and can occur throughout puberty, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause, among other life stages.
- Medications: Certain classes of drugs have the potential to bring on the manifestation of this illness. It has been shown that medications for blood pressure, some antibiotics, and anticonvulsants may bring on this condition.
- The sun: People who are predisposed to developing lupus and who spend a lot of time in the sun are more likely to develop specific lesions connected with the condition.
- High stress: lupus may be caused by trauma to the body, whether it be physical or mental, such as when a person has surgery.
- Genetic: There is some evidence to suggest that individuals may inherit the propensity to develop autoimmune illnesses. This indicates that all required to acquire hereditary lupus is a family history of another autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis.
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