A variety of chronic diseases have been observed in different age groups. Chronic diseases are usually those that take a long period of time to cure. Most of the chronic diseases don’t have a vaccination or pre-defined medicine. Chronic diseases generally hit the adult age group. Some of the major chronic diseases are asthma, diabetes, lupus, cancer and many more.
Lupus is a chronic disease that is caused by the immune system itself to the body. Often, lupus is known as a chronic as well as autoimmune disease. This disease may cause a lot of problems in a healthy human body as well as on the human mind. In this disease, the immune system attack on the tissues, joints, organs, etc. causing problems in the body.
Signs and Symptoms
Some symptoms that are common in Lupus patients are listed below:
1.Skin Rash
The most common symptom observed among the patients is the development of rashes on their skin.
- Fatigue
People who are suffering from chronic disease lupus, often feel too tired and have a lot of weakness.
- Joint Pains
Some symptoms are common to all the ones suffering from the disease. Joint pain is one of the symptoms that are common in a lot of people who have lupus.
- Fever
An unexpected fever is also one of the main symptoms commonly observed in people who have lupus.
There are more symptoms like a butterfly-shaped rash on nose or cheeks, swollen joints, pale finger, etc.
Lupus is mainly painful and one can use Pain Tracker to track their pain. This is an app available for measuring the pain caused due to various chronic diseases.
Types of Lupus
There are mainly four types of lupus that people suffer from. They are listed as well as explained below:
- Systemic Lupus
This type of lupus generally occurs in the internal system of the body. Cells and tissues of organs like kidneys, liver, etc. are affected. There is an inflammation in the organs. Symptoms are subject to change from person to person.
- Cutaneous Lupus
This kind of lupus affects the skin of the suffering person. The skin develops rashes, lesions, and other skin related defects. Avoiding sunlight is one of the best ways to prevent from inflammation of this kind of lupus.
- Drug-Induced Lupus
In many of the places drug -based lupus is a subcategory under systemic lupus. Many drugs which increase the immunity of the body may cause this kind of lupus. Drugs containing hydralazine, procainamide, quinidine, isoniazid, diltiazem are the main reasons for drug-induced lupus.
- Neonatal Lupus
This kind of lupus is the rarest lupus. Often pregnant women suffering from lupus transfer this to the new-born child. Rashes on the skin of the new-born are the major and the most common symptoms of neonatal lupus.
Facts and Stats
- According to research performed on about 15 million people in America, it was found that out of every 250 people, 1 person was prone to lupus.
- People who are suffering from lupus may tend to develop multiple autoimmune diseases. 1 out of 3 people has been observed to suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases.
- Lupus is found nine times more in woman than in men. Studies show that lupus affects a woman with dark color more than a woman with bright and white color.
- A normal blood test is sufficient for the diagnosis of lupus. Since there are many types of lupus, a blood test may identify which kind of lupus one’s suffering from. After the detection of lupus, appropriate treatment starts.
- Pregnant women are more likely to develop the disease soon. Sometimes the disease is passed on to the fetus through the mother and the baby at the time of delivery may have skin rashes, weak and pale body, which may eradicate after 6 months or so.
Preventions and Cure
A lot of treatment is now available all over the world. Different types of lupus have different treatment and curing process.
Pain Tracker by careclinic.io has developed an app that tracks down the pain one has to suffer during lupus.
The doctor seeing the patient may give a list of things that should be taken care of. Some of these may involve prevention related to lifestyle, food habits and many more.
Avoiding Sunlight
Due to the black holes found in the ozone layer, healthy people are developing rashes and skin diseases when exposed to direct sunlight. Patients who have lupus are advised not to go in sunlight, as the rashes may flare up under direct exposure to sunlight.
Avoiding Drugs and Toxins
Toxins and drugs like cigarette, alcohol, cocaine, etc. lead to the generation of lupus. Avoiding these toxins and drugs are beneficial for the body as well as the mind.
Avoiding Some Prescription Medicines
Medicines that have content of sleep aids, antibiotics, immunity gainers are prohibited. Medicines that mimic melatonin should be avoided too as they have content of sleeping aid.
Also, one should stay away from medicines such as Bactrim as they contain sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, which are harmful to people with lupus.
Life Expectancy
Suffering from chronic disease is too painful. Most of the chronic diseases have developed their medication, from cancer to asthma. But lupus is one of those chronic diseases for which there is no cure and medication till now. Researchers are performing research. Life Expectancy of people suffering from this disease is normal. But there’s always a high chance of death while suffering from chronic disease. Around 80-90% of people have an average life expectancy even if they are suffering from lupus.
These are some facts and figures about the chronic disease lupus that need to read carefully and paid attention to. Lupus being a chronic disease is a quite irritating one and is not easily curable. But proper care and prevention always will help in gaining relief and recovering soon.