This fascinating new report from UK-based publishing house Health Research Today answers some of the most-asked questions about this baffling disease :
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This article is an extract from the ebook Freedom From Lupus!
The nervous system is commonly affected in lupus patients. There are some major neurological manifestations of lupus in patients:
Cognitive Dysfunction: The most common symptoms of cognitive dysfunction are confusion, fatigue, memory impairment, and difficulty in articulating thoughts.
Headache: Lupus patients are two times as likely to suffer from migraine-like headaches. The headaches often coincide with the dilation of cerebral blood vessels, but there is really no known cause.
Seizure: Seizures are often a result of acute brain inflammation. Yet they can also be caused by scarring from vasculitis, acute strokes, or reactions to medication.
Altered Mental Alertness: Characterized by stupor or coma, this change is usually a result of CNS vasculitis, medication, or infection.
Aseptic Meningitis: This acute condition involves the inflammation of the spinal cord. It usually indicates CNS vasculitis or a reaction to ibuprofen.
Stroke: Stroke is a result of increased blood pressure, low platelet counts, antiphospholipid antibodies, long-term steroid use, premature artherosclerosis, or active vasculitis.
Movement Disorders: Tremors, writhing motions (known as chorea), and ataxia (balance problems) are common complaints in lupus patients.
Peripheral Neuropathy: Peripheral autonomic nerves may cause numbness, tingling, or local nerve palsies.
Autonomic Neuropathy
Paralysis: Paralysis is not very common, but it does occur on occasion. Its causes range from clots, strokes, and vasculitis of the covering of the spinal cord, infection or bleeding.
Altered Behavior: Characterized by obvious behavioral changes to those around the patient rather than internal changes - psychosis, organic brain syndrome, depression, and confusion can be found in lupus patients.
Visual Changes: Changes in vision are often the result of an optic nerve inflammation, clots, medication, or pseudotumor cerebri.
Read the rest of this article in Freedom From Lupus!
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