In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) or also call as LUPUS our own body’s immune system starts to damage the organs and tissues of our own body. This is what is called autoimmunity.
Symptoms of SLE are so different in different people that no two cases are alike. This makes it hard to diagnose at the beginning. Patients with SLE may have pain and swelling in joints very frequently. Some develop in arthritis with the passage of time.
SLE affects many organs of the body.
- Heart: Valve problems, risk of heart attacks increases.
- Brain and nervous system: Headaches, tingling, strokes or seizures, eye problems, weakness, numbness, memory and personality changes, and difficulty in expressing their thoughts.
- Digestive tract: Abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting
- Lung : Bleeding into lungs and pneumonia, difficulty breathing, coughing up blood
- Skin: recurrent oral ulcers
- Kidney: Swelling in the legs, kidney failure is one of the leading causes of death among people with lupus.
- Circulation: Clots in veins or arteries, constriction or inflammation of blood vessels, anaemia, low white blood cell or platelet count.
Some common symptoms are listed below:
- Weight loss.
- Painful areas in the mouth and gum (canker sores)
- Chest pains when you take a deep breath also called as pleuritis
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Prolonged Fever on and off.
- General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise).
- Hair loss.
- Recurrent miscarriage
- High blood pressure during pregnancy
- Filling of water around the heart and lungs, causing difficulty in breathing
- Sunlight sensitivity also called as photosensitivity. It gets worse in sunlight.
- Skin rash — Malar rash develops with SLE. The rash is spreads around cheeks and the nose in shape of a butterfly.
SLE/LUPUS may present in several ways. Meet a Rheumatologist if you are facing these issues.
Dr. Ashish K Badika has 3 years of advanced training in Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology including 2 years Post Doctoral.
He has extensive exposure to Systemic Autoimmune Disorder (Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, Seronegative spondyloarthritis, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Scleroderma, Gout, Myositis, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Vasculitic conditions, and Paediatric rheumatology disorders).