Lupus - symptoms and treatment in adults

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

There are many skin diseases that have a different course and manifestation. Lupus is one of these pathologies, but few people know what kind of disease it is. The photo shows that it manifests itself on the face in the form of a rash, but there are other symptoms as well. Lupus prophylaxis and treatment in adults takes a long time. Most importantly, the disease is chronic and requires medical supervision throughout life.

What is this disease?

Lupus according to ICD 10 has another name - it is "systemic lupus erythematosus" (SLE). According to statistics, pathology occurs in 5 million people around the world, but despite this, many have never encountered it. Therefore, we will talk about what kind of disease "lupus" is, present a photo of people with a similar problem, as well as how the disease is transmitted.

So, lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune pathology that negatively affects the activity of all organs and systems of the body, gradually destroying their function. It can be said with certainty that this is a serious diffuse disease, which, thanks to antibodies, systemically affects the internal organs and systems of the human mechanism. As a result, a vascular component appears that affects the connective tissues.

Now we know what kind of disease it is, so now we will deal with the nature of the course and the emerging symptoms.

By the way, lupus got its name because it is accompanied by specific symptoms, one of the most basic is a rash on the skin of the face, which resembles a wolf bite. It has indistinct contours and looks similar to the silhouette of a butterfly, therefore the disease is also called "butterfly syndrome".

Lupus patients have to change their usual way of life forever, because the disease requires constant medical supervision and taking medications. This is a chronic process in the body that cannot be completely cured.

Systemic lupus erythematosus - photo of manifestation in adults

Previously, people did not know at all what this disease was, and the first mention of it dates back to 1828.

In the photo you can see the main symptom of the disease - a rash on the skin of the face. As a rule, the pathological condition is inherent in adults, children get sick less often.

Back in the 19th century, in addition to external manifestations, doctors began to identify concomitant symptoms, expressed in damage to the tissues of internal organs. And, by the way, internal foci of the disease sometimes may not be accompanied by external signs.

Already in 1948, after numerous studies of the symptoms of the disease, scientists identified the presence of LE cells in the blood, which became an important diagnostic factor. And in 1954, antibodies were discovered that counteract their own cells. All these indicators made it easier to diagnose lupus, moreover, this allowed the development of a more effective method of treatment.

In the photo you can see what lupus looks like in appearance.

Causes

Statistics show that most of the patients are women (90%). In the male half of humanity, it is very rare, and, as a rule, this is due to hormonal changes in the body. In men, the protective function is more pronounced, which is favored by special hormones - androgens.

Despite modern pharmacological possibilities, the etiology of systemic lupus erythematosus has not yet been established. But what kind of disease it is (the photo shows how it manifests itself) and what causal factors exist, there are answers to this.

Scientists claim that the provocateurs of the development of a pathological condition are:

• genetic factor;
• hormonal imbalance;
• endocrine diseases;
• bacterial infections;
• excessive exposure to the sun;
• environmental conditions;
• pregnancy and the postpartum period;
• bad habits (alcohol, smoking, drug addiction).

Also, regular colds, hormonal changes (adolescence, menopause, stress) can act as a provocateur.

Not knowing about a disease like lupus, many are wondering if it is contagious or not. The disease is not capable of being transmitted by airborne droplets, through household items, as well as through intimacy. This is an autoimmune disease that is not capable of spreading to a healthy person. But it can be inherited.

Forms and types of the disease

Lupus is classified depending on the severity of the clinical picture:

1. Acute form. Active progression of the disease. It is accompanied by an increase in body temperature up to 39 degrees, fever, lethargy and chronic fatigue.
2. Subacute. This is the period between the onset of lupus and the first symptoms. It can last for a year or more. The subacute form alternates with remissions and a period of exacerbations.
3. Chronic. At this stage, the disease is characterized by a weak clinical picture. Internal organs and systems work normally, no special damage to the connective tissue is noticed. Treatment is aimed at preventing exacerbations.

Depending on the external manifestations, lupus is divided into the following types:

1. Disseminated. It can be chronic and periodic. It manifests itself as a rising rash on the skin of the face and body. In rare cases, it degenerates into a real systemic lupus erythematosus.
2. Discoid lupus erythematosus. Rashes appear, as a rule, on the face, localized on the cheeks, nose. It has outlines, and the red spots themselves resemble the silhouette of a butterfly. Over time, the affected areas peel off, further forming cicatricial atrophy.
3. Neonatal lupus. Newborns suffer from this ailment. It is inherited from a mother who suffers from lupus erythematosus or other autoimmune diseases. The peculiarity of the form in violation of the function of the heart.
4. Medicinal. Rashes are provoked by such dosage forms as Hydralazine, Carbamazeline and Procainamide. After stopping treatment, the rash disappears. In the active stage, it can manifest itself with symptoms of fever, inflammation of the joints and pain in the chest area.

Women are often at risk of developing lupus erythematosus, mainly of childbearing age, when various hormonal disruptions occur in the body. If a woman's pregnancy has proceeded with complications, this is considered a significant provoking factor in the appearance of lupus in a newborn.

Lupus erythematosus tests - what to take

Now we know what kind of disease it is, in the photo you can see that it can have various external signs. All signs are practically localized on the face, neck, or in the area of the elbow joints. The disease can affect various systemic parts of the body, occur in different phases from acute to latent, so each patient needs an individual approach to diagnosis and treatment.

The main goal of diagnosing systemic lupus erythematosus is to carefully collect anamnesis, to determine the sequence of symptoms. Specialists such as a pulmonologist, cardiologist, and nephrologist are involved in diagnostics and treatment.

To identify the problem, the patient is assigned a number of measures:

• general analysis of blood and urine;
• biochemical analysis of blood plasma;
• test for the presence of antibodies;
• Wasserman reaction;
• biopsy of skin and kidney areas.

After receiving a complete picture of the disease, the doctor determines the diagnosis and prescribes the appropriate treatment or control (in the latent form).

Lupus treatment

Treatment involves suppressing the bright course of lupus and maintaining normal all systems and functions in the body. An individual therapy method is developed for each patient, which depends on the results of the examination, the accompanying signs and the cause of the problem.

It is impossible to completely recover from SLE, the goal is to bring the body back to normal and get rid of the bright signs of the disease. Further therapy is aimed at preventing exacerbations.

The use of medicines

As we said, drug therapy for lupus is individual in nature and depends on the shape and brightness of the picture. But in the general case, doctors prescribe the following groups of drugs to patients:

• hormonal;
• antipyretic;
• anti-inflammatory;
• immunostimulants;
• pain relieving ointments and creams for external use.

Physiotherapy can also be prescribed, aimed at strengthening the body's defenses. But this technique is applicable only during the period of remission.

Lupus is usually treated at home, but in some cases hospitalization is required. For example, when a patient has a fever, a high temperature that does not get confused by antipyretics, dysfunction of the central nervous system, a pre-stroke state. It is dangerous to endure this condition on your feet.

Complications of the disease

Each patient has lupus with individual characteristics, and the complexity of the problem is determined depending on the severity of damage to the internal organs and the skin.

Usually, rashes are not the only symptom; lupus often affects kidney tissue. There are also complications in the form of dysfunction of the heart and blood vessels, organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

Life forecast

Due to the fact that lupus is of a deep nature, cases of death are not excluded. This option is possible with the development of infectious processes and lupus nephritis.

10 years after diagnosis and quality control of the disease, the survival rate is 80%, but 20 years after the problem is identified, the rate drops to 60%.

With quality therapy and prevention, lupus can occur in a latent form and not disturb a person with vivid manifestations. But if an exacerbation is noted, doctors recommend immediately seeking qualified help, because self-treatment can lead to irreparable consequences.

With quality therapy, lupus erythematosus can occur in a latent form, but if an exacerbation is noted, then doctors recommend immediately seeking qualified help. You found out what kind of disease it is and saw vivid symptoms in the photo, therefore, timely prevention and treatment in adults and children reduces the risk of developing severe complications.