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A New Free Report - What Is Lupus?
This fascinating new report from UK-based publishing house Health Research Today answers some of the most-asked questions about this baffling disease :
- What is the medical definition of lupus?
- What are the symptoms of lupus?
- What tests are there for lupus? How do you get a diagnosis?
Fill in this form and we will send you the report immediately, which you are welcome to send on to friends or family!
The Symptoms of Lupus
This article is an extract from the ebook Freedom From Lupus!
Blood Disorders
Blood disorders are another common symptom of lupus. The average non-lupus affected person has 6-liters of blood that contains red blood cells for oxygen exchange, white blood cells for fighting off disease, platelets to help our blood clot, and plasma for all the extra things the body needs from the blood like proteins. Lupus patients, however, can find themselves susceptible to diseases that cause imbalances in the way our blood functions.
Anemia
Patients with anemia are often pale, weak, and tired, and 80 percent of SLE patients suffer from anemia at some point in the course of their disease. Anemia is actually a low red blood cell count and is diagnosed when the hemoglobin goes under 12g/dL or hemocrit is under 36.
There are two categories of anemia: non-immunologic and immunologic. Non-immunologic anemia patients have a chronic inflammation that causes the red blood cell production to decrease. The major causes of non-immunologic anemia are much more common to SLE patients. Conditions like heavy menstrual bleeding, erosive gastritis caused by NSAIDs, and chronic renal disease can cause a decrease in red blood cell count. Yet, even while lupus patients are more susceptible to the underlying causes of anemia, the condition occurs in the same proportion as the general population.
Immunologic anemia occurs in 10 percent of lupus patients, and it appears as weakness, dizziness, fever, or jaundiced skin. It can be treated with a transfusion, so it is considered a temporary condition. On rare occasions, though, it results in the plasma telling the bone marrow to stop making blood cells and hypoplasia or aplasia can set in.
Thrombocytopenia
In 15 percent of SLE patients, antiplatelet antibodies cause a severe decrease in platelet counts. If those counts go under 100,000/cubic millimeter thrombocytopenia is diagnosed. The non-lupus patient normally has a platelet count of 150,000 to 400,000/cubic millimeter. If the count decreases below 50,000 a patient will notice he or she bruises easily. If it decreases to below 20,000 the condition becomes life threatening, as internal bleeding becomes easy and not necessarily noticeable.
Patients concerned about thrombocytopenia should watch out for numerous black and blue marks, excessive gum bleeding, heavy menstrual periods, and little red spots (petichiae) on skin. If these symptoms occur it is very necessary to get a platelet count.
One common type of thrombocytopenia called ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) is found mostly in young women and children. They have no other symptom except for bruising easily. Upon testing, though, a low platelet count and platelet antibodies are found.
Rarely thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TPP) occurs and can lead to multiple organ failure. TTP symptoms include fever, hemolytic anemia, neurological impairments, kidney failure, and low platelet count.
Clotting Disturbances
Unfortunately one-third of lupus related deaths are due to clotting disturbances, so keeping a close eye on the blood is imperative for lupus patients. Abnormal clotting is called a “thrombotic event,” and occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein or artery. There are two main types of clotting disturbances that affect lupus patients: deep vein thrombosis and antiphospholipid syndrome (a.k.a. Hughes Syndrome).
Deep vein thrombosis is when a blood clot forms in the large vein of the leg. This clot can be very painful and cause redness. It is not necessarily dangerous unless all or part of it breaks off and travels to the lungs. If a clot in an artery does dislodge and travel it can cause a heart attack or stroke.
Another clotting disturbance is caused by Hughes syndrome. Lupus patients have an additional protein cofactor that makes antiphospholipid antibodies, and an overwhelming number of Hughes syndrome patients have lupus. Those antibodies promote thrombotic events.
Kidney Disease
The kidneys are placed at the back of the abdomen on both sides of the spine and under the ribs. Kidneys are 4 to 5 inches long and approximately 2 inches wide. The kidneys clean waste from the body and create urea using protein and creatinine. Every 10 minutes the normal kidney will have 20 percent of the blood flow through it for cleaning. The glomenuli filters allow waste, water, and minerals to pass through so that the blood returns to the body with the exact balance of salt and water needed. The remaining fluid is then released as urine.
When the glomenulus are damaged, protein and blood are allowed to pass through them, which can result in increased urea and creatinine in the blood. With no treatment the kidney filtration process stops. Lupus patients can experience rapid (acute) or chronic kidney failure.
One common condition among SLE patients is nephritis, or an inflammation of the kidneys. If a patient becomes nephritic protein is spilled due to filter dysfunction. Common symptoms include swelling in the abdomen and ankles along with shortness of breath from pleural and pericardial effusions.
Another type of kidney dysfunction is when a patient becomes uremic. In this case the kidneys no longer filter waste, so toxic materials then accumulate in the body. That built up urea causes damage to other tissues. Patients who have become uremic are pale, fatigued, and have a distinct odor. These patients must go on dialysis in order to survive, as the dialysis will make up for the dysfunctional filtration and remove the waste from the blood.
While 50 percent of SLE patients have abnormalities in urine analysis and suffer some form of kidney failure, it does occur more often at the onset of SLE or during a flare. There are some specific symptoms of kidney dysfunction, and if they occur, medical attention is imperative:
- Swollen eyelids
- Swollen ankles
- Shortness of breath
- Persistent or extreme itchiness
- Increased blood pressure
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
There are several causes of kidney dysfunction, and many are related to lupus. Overuse of NSAIDs can promote kidney disease, and they are often used in treatment of lupus-related inflammation. Sjogren’s syndrome can cause tubular dysfunction. Some antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications can cause kidney dysfunction. Also, lupus patients with antiphospholipid disorders are predisposed to renal vein thrombosis.
Read the rest of this article in Freedom From Lupus!
© Health Research Today
