Home Remedies and Natural Cures
Filed under: Natural Cures — permalink
Although the immune system has a great reputation for protecting the body from disease and sickness, it can sometimes become confused as to who the “good guys” are. When certain diseases strike, the immune system may react by attacking innocent tissues and organs. A patient who suffers from lupus is all too familiar with the symptoms of the chronic inflammatory disease that pinpoints the joints, kidneys, blood cells, skin, heart, and lungs. With no two cases of lupus the same, the maintenance of the condition becomes a personal journey for many.
Lupus is a condition that attacks healthy cells and tissues when the immune system has been compromised from within. There are many different types of lupus to consider, but the most frequently seen (and most serious form) is called systemic lupus erythematosus, which has the ability to affect many different parts of the body. Additional types of lupus include dicoid lupus erythematosus (characterized by a nagging skin rash); subcacure cutaneous lupus erythematosus (produces skin sores on body parts exposed to the sun); drug-induced lupus (caused by medications); and neonatal lupus (a rare variation that affects newborns).
Doctors are unclear as to how an autoimmune disease like lupus strikes in the first place. While various theories, such as environment, hormones, and heredity are some of the instances thought to contribute to the development of the condition, there are certain factors also thought to trigger lupus.
These factors include viral or bacterial infections, certain prescription medications, excessive exposure to sunlight, and estrogen. Additional theories for the cause of lupus in some patients include stress, various food items, aspartame (artificial sweetener), silicone breast implants, mercury dental fillings, hair dye, and toxic chemicals.
There is no one test that diagnoses lupus. For some, it could take months or years for a doctor to conclude that you are suffering from the disease. Some of the ways a doctor detects the presence of the condition is through analyzing your medical history, performing a complete exam, blood tests, and biopsies of the skin and kidneys.
Anyone can develop lupus, but the disease predominately strikes females. The condition is also seen more within the African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American communities. The presence of the female hormone, estrogen, also places one at risk for lupus. In addition, some people possess a gene or genes that make them more likely to get lupus. About 10% of people with lupus have a family member who suffers from the disease.