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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!
Getting a Lupus Diagnosis
This article is an extract from the ebook Freedom From Lupus!
Keep a Diary of Your Symptoms
Keeping a diary of your symptoms both prior to and after diagnosis will help your doctor make decisions regarding your care. You need to keep track of your various symptoms, medications, and your overall lupus-related experiences. A diary can be helpful in getting the diagnosis, because it allows doctors to see patterns in your symptoms. It also helps them treat the disease through the recognition of certain patterns.
Keep a daily journal and divide it into three time periods – morning, afternoon, and evening. Anytime you feel a symptom, write it down. When you take a medication, write it down. Be detailed about what you put in the diary, too. If you have pain in your wrist, write down how severe it is using a rating system of 1 to 5. Are you having your menstrual period? Write that down, too. Was it a stressful day? Write down your stress level and stressors. You can also keep track of diet and exercise. Be descriptive about rashes or lesions. The more descriptive you are in your diary, the more useful it will be for your physicians.
The Consultation
When you go for your lupus consultation, you will probably have a lot of questions running through your mind. Just like when you are interviewing specialists, you need to write down those questions. This way you will not forget to ask anything. You should leave space for answers, and bring a pen or pencil. There will be a lot of information provided, and you want to remember as much as possible.
If you are seeing your family physician or rheumatologist for the first time after diagnosis, here are some important questions to ask about your lupus:
- Could my medications be triggering the lupus symptoms?
- Could another disease be causing my symptoms?
- Is there any damage to my kidneys or other organs?
- Should I be taking any nutritional supplements like calcium?
- Should I take a bone density test?
- How long will I be on these medications?
- When will the medications take effect?
- Can I become pregnant?
- When should I return for a checkup?
- Should I change any part of my lifestyle?
- What circumstances should prompt me to contact a doctor?
- Are there other specialists I should be seeing?
- Are there any alternative treatments to consider?
- Will I expect any disabilities? How can I prepare for them?
- Who are the members of my treatment team?
- How do I explain the disease to my family?
- Will lupus affect my relationship with my family, children, friends, and coworkers?
- What complications should I expect?
It may also be helpful to bring a friend with you. Sometimes it is good to have that extra support and someone who can help you understand what the doctor is saying. Also, your friend may come up with questions you didn’t think of asking. See if your friend is willing to take notes, too. This way you can compare notes when you leave to see if you missed anything.
Also, some doctors are willing to record consultation notes so that you have his/her recommendations on hand. However not all doctors will offer this option, so you will have to ask, and not all doctors are willing to put anything on tape.
Why Getting a Lupus Diagnosis is So Difficult
Getting a lupus diagnosis is not always easy. In fact, the average diagnosis in an adult can take between 6 months to 3 years. Sometimes it takes even longer. There are several reasons for the length of an actual diagnosis.
First, the symptoms of lupus are varied and are often associated with other diseases. Headaches, numbness and tingling, rashes, fever…these are all symptoms you find in myriad of other disorders. Early on in the course of lupus these symptoms tend to be misdiagnosed and mistreated.
Another reason for the long period from onset to diagnosis is the lack of a definitive lupus test. While the ANA test is one of the most commonly used tools, it is not necessarily diagnose lupus, but an autoimmune disease. That is why the ACR criteria are used.
Finally, not all doctors are well versed in lupus symptomology and treatment. If a doctor does not see many lupus patients, he or she may not be able to recognize lupus early. It often takes many visits to your doctor before the possibility of lupus comes to mind. Also, you may be seeing several doctors, all of whom are not working together. Communication is key to getting a lupus diagnosis.
Should I Get a Second Opinion?
Getting a second opinion is not always a bad idea, no matter what disease you may have. If you think you have lupus, but your doctor tells you that you do not, it may benefit you to get a second opinion to be sure. It will also benefit you to get a second opinion if you do get a confirmed lupus diagnosis. A second doctor will be able to confirm the results again and also may offer you further information on treatment, care, and referrals.
Do not feel bad about wanting a second opinion. Doctors are human, and sometimes they miss things. Your primary concern needs to be your health. Most doctors understand the need for a second opinion, and sometimes they can even refer you to another physician. However, if you rely on your insurance for payment, you should discuss the option with your insurance company, too. Sometimes they will not pay for your second opinion, or there may not be full coverage for the visit and testing.
Read the rest of this article in Freedom From Lupus!
© Health Research Today
