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Information About Lupus

The Bridge Lupus Treatment Center

Our Lupus Treatment Center helps people heal from a painful and complex autoimmune disease. Lupus affects millions of people across the country and world, but 9 out of 10 are women. Lupus is a disease that can affect many parts of the body. One person with lupus may have swollen knees or other joints and unexplained fever. Another person may be tired all the time or have kidney trouble. Someone else may have skin rashes or lose the hair on their scalp. Lupus can also involve the lungs, heart and/or the brain. Usually, one person doesn’t have all the possible symptoms. Successful lupus recovery is multi-variable. 

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Lupus Treatment Diagnosis

Lupus is a chronic or long term autoimmune disease where your immune system becomes overactive and attacks its own normal and healthy tissues. Lupus can cause damage to your skin, blood, joints, kidneys, lungs, and heart. Because of how complex the disease is in nature, lupus has been coined as the “disease of 1,000 faces”. There are around 16,000 new cases of lupus each year in the United States. According to the Lupus Foundation Of America, up to one and a half million people may be living with the disease[1]. The exact cause of lupus is unclear at this time, however, it is one of the autoimmune disorders, and lupus recovery can be achieved through lupus treatment center.

Who Might Suffer From Lupus?

Lupus can affect anyone in the population of any age. This disease most commonly occurs in women that are of childbearing age or between 14 and 45 years old. Lupus is also more prevalent in individuals of Native American, Asian, and African descent than of Caucasian descent. While lupus can develop in anyone, 90 percent of individuals diagnosed with lupus are females. [2] According to the National Resource Center on Lupus, the best explanation regarding the overwhelming prevalence of the disease in women than in men is that men are required to inherit more lupus susceptibility genes than women in order to develop the disease. It is also partially explained by the hormonal differences between males and females.

Lupus Prescription Management

At this time, there is currently no lupus cure. So the treatment of lupus focuses on symptom management and episodic flare-ups of the disease. Treatment of lupus also focuses on preventative measures for damage that may occur to numerous organs within the body. That’s why a lupus treatment center can help.

Each person diagnosed with lupus will experience the disease differently. So it only makes sense that the treatment of lupus differs from person to person. While medications to manage pain, swelling, hormone levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels have shown to be effective in some patients, they may not be the best treatment option for others. Many individuals with lupus cannot handle the harsh side effects that come with many of the commonly prescribed drugs to treat lupus.

Drugs used for lupus pain management can be dangerously addictive and reduce the overall life quality for lupus patients. There are numerous other options to help treat some of the chronic symptoms that occur with lupus aside from just pharmaceutical medications. Various types of therapy can help alleviate symptoms, and there are lupus treatment centers and relief programs that can provide you with these tools. You can learn how to manage chronic lupus symptoms in healthier ways and still have the medical support you need by your side.

Lupus Treatment Options

There is one variation of lupus that you can reverse. Drug-induced lupus accounts for around 10 percent of individuals who have the disease. The onset of this type of lupus is due to the body’s reaction to specific prescription drugs. According to Genetics Home Reference, around 80 known drugs can cause the onset of lupus. If an individual is having drug-induced lupus, then stopping the medication that is causing it, can reverse it.

Lupus Symptoms

Lupus is a disease that has episodic symptoms in most individuals. This means that symptoms happen in flare-ups, and when an individual is between flare-ups, symptoms of lupus may not be apparent. During the time when an individual is between flare-ups, their lupus is in remission. However, lupus flare-ups are notorious for being extremely unpredictable. These flare-ups can occur at a frequency of more than six times each year. Lupus is most often diagnosed when the individual is experiencing a flare-up. However, it is not unheard of for an individual to be diagnosed when their disease is in remission. When symptoms of lupus do manifest, they are rarely the same from one person to the next. Just like flare-ups are unpredictable in nature, so are lupus symptoms.

There is no doubt that lupus is a complicated and tricky disease to live with. There is still some more work to do, even after so much of extensive research on several aspects of the disease. What we do know about lupus is that it is a debilitating autoimmune disease that can affect anyone in the population, there are multiple ways to manage the disease, some forms of lupus may not be permanent, and that the symptoms of lupus are extremely unpredictable. If you are living with lupus and would like to look further into different types of therapy and lupus treatment centers to help you manage your disease, click over here to read more about our lupus treatment program.

Ref:

[1] http://lupusorg.nextmp.net/
[2] https://www.lupus.org/resources/unlocking-the-reasons-why-lupus-is-more-common-in-women

How Many People Suffer From Lupus? 

Lupus impacts 1.5 million Americans, and is known as the ‘great imitator’ because its symptoms can be so varied. Lupus can affect the skin, joints, and kidneys, among other organs. While there is no cure for lupus, there are treatments available to manage the symptoms of this disease. 

Lupus Treatment Center Testing 

Before you can be admitted to a lupus treatment center, it’s important to undergo routine testing to ensure that your symptoms are lupus-related. There isn’t a single test that’s used to diagnose lupus — rather, a number of tests are used to rule out other conditions that may cause your symptoms.

These tests may include:

Blood count tests

These tests measure the number of blood cells and the amount of hemoglobin in your blood. Lupus can cause low counts of red blood cells (anemia) or low counts of white blood cells.

Kidney and liver tests

These tests will help your doctor check for signs of damage to your kidneys and liver, which can occur with lupus.

Anti-nuclear antibody test

This blood test can help your doctor confirm a diagnosis of lupus. It checks for antibodies that are produced by your immune system to attack your body’s own tissues. 

Urinalysis 

This test checks your urine for certain proteins that can be a sign of lupus.

Your doctor may also recommend that you have a chest X-ray or echocardiogram performed to have a better understanding of whether any damage has occurred to your lungs or heart. If you’re suffering from skin-related symptoms, a biopsy may also be performed in an effort to provide you with a diagnosis.

Lupus Recovery Treatments 

Lupus doesn’t have a cure, but a number of different treatments can help manage it. A few of the most common treatment options include:

  1. Biologics: Biologics are drugs made from living organisms, such as bacteria and yeast. They are a type of targeted therapy. They are also known as biopharmaceuticals or biosimilars. 
  2. Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids are a class of steroids most commonly used to reduce inflammation, among other uses. They can be taken orally, injected into a joint, or injected under the skin (subcutaneous) or into a muscle.
  3. Immunosuppressants: Immunosuppressants reduce the immune system’s activity. This can help control some of the symptoms. However, this treatment is usually only used as a last resort because they can increase the damage to the liver and also increase your risk of cancer and infections.
  4. Anti-malarial Medication: Anti-malarial medication is also used to help control symptoms and reduce flareups. Due to the potential to cause damage to your retina, routine eye exams are recommended when taking anti-malarial meds.

Multiple over-the-count options may help treat your symptoms, including NSAIDS, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, which are known for reducing swelling and relieving pain. 

If symptoms do not subside, a lupus treatment center may recommend clinical trials. A variety of drugs are currently being tested to treat lupus and lifestyle changes.

Regular exercise, routine doctor visits and diet changes can help you manage your symptoms. Wearing sunscreen and inquiring about calcium or vitamin D supplements are also important steps in managing your lupus.

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