Since lupus is, in many ways, a disease of symptoms, there are several related conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and heart disease, that people with lupus should be familiar with.
Lupus and multiple sclerosis are both autoimmune diseases. Lupus triggers a response from the immune system that may attack various organs in the body. Multiple sclerosis, on the other hand, attacks myelin, the fatty protective layer over nerves fibers in the brain and spinal cord.
Vasculitis, or inflammation of the blood vessels, is a common condition that can occur in people with lupus. It commonly occurs when a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks blood vessels. This can be a dangerous condition, since an inflamed blood vessel can become narrow, restricting blood flow.
Individuals with lupus are at an increased risk for osteoporosis for a number of reasons, and studies suggest an increase in bone loss and fracture in individuals with lupus. In fact, women with lupus may be five times more likely to experience a fracture from osteoporosis.
Steroid-induced diabetes in lupus patients can be the result of long-term corticosteriods, which are often used as a treatment option for lupus patients, as they reduce inflammation and affect the immune system.
Lupus is known as a disease that is misdiagnosed as some other disease. Interestingly enough, fibromyalgia, a disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue, is often misdiagnosed as lupus, since both are rheumatic illnesses and share some similar symptoms. Also of note, lupus sufferers are more likely to contract fibromyalgia.
Though sobering, miscarriage occurs in 10 percent of pregnancies of women with lupus. That said, women with lupus who wish to get pregnant certainly can – and can experience a normal pregnancy and delivery, as well.
Lupus anticoagulant antibodies - you may at some point encounter the term, or discover that you have or carry these antibodies. Also categorized as antiphospholipid antibodies, they interfere with the normal function of blood vessels and can lead to narrowing of the blood vessels or blood clots.
Systemic lupus erythematosus, or simply lupus, is an autoimmune disease that can damage internal organs and often leads to a number of health complications. Often the patient notices the complications before they are diagnosed with lupus.
Cardiopulmonary complications from SLE, those affecting the lungs specifically, are common in lupus patients. Often, lupus can trigger inflammation of the lining surrounding the lungs, the pleura, causing pain when breathing or coughing. This condition is called pleurisy or pleuritis. It is the most common pulmonary manifestation of lupus.
Because the nervous system needs continuous oxygen and nutrients to function properly, it is adversely affected by any restriction to the flow of blood to it. In this overview, we will focus mainly on the central nervous system and some of the ways lupus affects the system.
Lupus is truly a disease of symptoms. Its attacks on the body’s immune system can affect everything from the skin and joints to internal organs, like the kidneys. Often, lupus can trigger inflammation of the thin sac that surrounds the heart, called pericarditis.
When lupus affects the kidneys, it is called lupus nephritis.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease, is truly a disease of symptoms. Its attacks on the body’s immune system can affect everything from the skin and joints to internal organs, like the kidneys. Often, lupus can trigger inflammation of the heart muscle, called myocarditis.
Since lupus is, in many ways, a disease of symptoms, there are several related conditions, such as severe joint and muscle pain, or arthritis, that people with lupus should be familiar with.
Lupus is often manifests itself through several related conditions, often affecting major systems and organs in the body, including the pancreas. When the pancreas becomes inflamed, it is called pancreatitis.
