...where gluten is indigestible for many people but I didn't know the actual name of the disease. While reading through the case studies, Celiac disease just sounded like it pertained to the gastrointestinal tract because I had it confused with Colic, which is along the lines of intestinal obstruction or abdominal pain due to intestinal gas, mainly in infants. The pathophysiology of a disease is often a little difficult to write in a way that all reader can comprehend in one go. I was a little confused with how exactly gluten intolerance begins and whether or not does lupus in the family predispose Rhonda to celiacs disease specifically. After researching about genetic predisposition, I feel like I learned too much because of the insane amount of information out on the web. The medical field has advanced immensely, but even today, we don't have many of the answers. The human body has a very complex and effective immune system that will rise to injurious conditions and get rid of any harmful...
Words: 566 - Pages: 3
...is to protect the body against diseases and other invaders that the body recognizes as foreign. Because of the immune system, our bodies are able to fight off illnesses such as the common cold. What would happen if the immune system started to attack healthy cells within your body for no known reason? Unfortunately, that is what happens to individuals who suffer from an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease describes a group of diseases that can affect the human organ systems. These diseases all have the same underlying problem. Which is the body’s immune system becomes defective and attacks the organs in which it was supposed to protect (Autoimmune Disease in Women, 2013). The cause is still unknown as to why the immune system can no longer tell the difference between healthy body tissues and antigens, but it is believed some microorganism, different drugs, and certain genes may increase the risk of developing an autoimmune disease (Dugdale, 2011). Having an autoimmune disease can be difficult for a person, especially in the early stages, because many do not know what to expect or have the basic knowledge on the disease. For many, these diseases can cause major complications and illnesses, especially when going untreated for long periods of time. Fortunately, with the advances in medicine and research, people, with autoimmune diseases, can live long, normal lives with proper support and treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Multiple...
Words: 1984 - Pages: 8
...turn against you? The hypochondriac is actually correct for once thinking that they have a serious disease. Lupus is commonly misdiagnosed as signs and symptoms of other illnesses. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that is unpreventable, incurable and affects many people worldwide every year. Antibodies attack healthy cells opens the opportunity for infection, causing strain on the body which causes the body to show signs and symptoms trying to correct the problem. The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million people in the United States have some form of lupus (Raymond). The disease is incurable hence it is important that research is done to lower the rates of lupus worldwide. During this...
Words: 1530 - Pages: 7
...Anatomy and Physiology Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to fight against parts of the body that it is designed to protect, not harm. This leads to inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organ. SLE can affect many parts of the body including the skin, the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and the brain. Typically, SLE is characterized by periods of illness, which are called flares, and periods of wellness, or remission. The key to keeping SLE under control is understanding how to prevent flares and how to treat them when they occur. The cause of SLE is not fully understood, but research suggests that genetics play an important role in its cause. Other factors that contribute...
Words: 1691 - Pages: 7
... LUPUS AWARENESS ESSAY Throughout the world today there is an estimated amount of 5 million people who has a disease called lupus erythematosus. Lupus erythematosus can be a fatal disease to those who have it. As defined on several sites lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the human body. Saying chronic simply means the symptoms may last longer than six weeks and often many times for years. Lupus is normally found in women of childbearing ages 15-44. There is not yet a cure for the disease. In this essay I will further discuss the diagnosis of lupus and its four branches. I will also be discussing the many symptoms of lupus and the treatments that are used to contain the disease. Now let’s look into how the disease is diagnosed. To start of with, lupus erythematosus is once again defined as a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of your body. What this means is your body immune system cannot tell the difference between your bodies healthy tissues and the foreign invaders. So your body will then create autoantibodies that will attack and destroy your bodies healthy tissues. The autoaintibodies that is created will then cause inflammation, and pain. There are four branches of lupus erythematosus. (1) The first branch is systemic lupus erythematosus which is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that attacks nearly every organ in your body (skin, joints, brain, lungs, kidneys, blood, and central nervous system)...
Words: 806 - Pages: 4
...What is Lupus?- Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect the skin, joints, blood cells, kidneys, brain, lungs and even heart. It is considered an autoimmune disease which means the body’s immune system attacks itself. With this being an autoimmune disease, the body creates what is referred to as autoantibodies which destroy the healthy tissue and cause pain, irritation and inflammation. This disease seems to mainly attack women ages 15-45, although men and children can get it as well. Someone of any ethnicity can get Lupus, however women of descent other than Caucasian tend to be more likely to get it. The cause of Lupus is unknown although it is said that genes may play a certain role Lupus can range from a mild case to life-threatening or can progress quick or slowly, so it is important be treated as...
Words: 448 - Pages: 2
...Jennifer’s other symptoms consist of brittle nails and dry hair. She reports trying conditioners for her dry hair problem, however none have solved the problem. Jennifer’s medical history states a diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), that a specialist has been treating her for for five years. Jennifer’s clinical examination presents further symptoms. Her vitals are normal. She is alert and oriented. Her height was 5”2 and her weight is 120 pounds. This puts her Body Mass Index (BMI) at 21.9 which is considered normal range. Jennifer’s temperature is perfect at 98.6 F. Her blood pressure is 100/60 mmHg and her heart rate is recorded at 110 bpm, which is slightly high for someone of her size. The clinical exam revealed that she is jaundiced, pale, has a distended abdomen, and suffers from splenomegaly....
Words: 1085 - Pages: 5
...live with Lupus and more than 16,000 new cases are reported across the country each year (LUPUS Foundation of America; 2011). Lupus is an autoimmune disease that is chronic and can cause damage to any part of the body. The body’s immune system produces proteins referred to as antibodies. These antibodies help to provide protection for the body from invaders. Our immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and our body’s healthy tissues; therefore autoantibodies attack and ultimately destroy healthy tissues, which is known as autoimmune or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (LUPUS Foundation of America; 2011). Inflammation, pain, and damage to other various parts of the body are due to these autoantibodies. The causes of SLE are genes, environment, and genetic factors. Even though researchers and scientists are unsure of just how genetic factors may alter or affect the immune system; researchers estimate that 20 - 100 different genetic factors may make a person susceptible to SLE (The New York Times; 2011). Environmental triggers can set off a flare of this disease. Environmental triggers can be ultraviolet rays from either the sun and/or fluorescent light bulbs, sulfa drugs that causes more sensitivity to the sun, penicillin and other antibiotic drugs, an infection, a cold and/or a viral illness, exhaustion, an injury, emotional stress and anything that causes stress to the body (LUPUS Foundation...
Words: 982 - Pages: 4
...people don’t know what lupus is but it is very common and today I will inform you on what it is, causes, risk factors, symptoms, side effects and complications, test and diagnosing, treatment, and little incite on how someone with lupus feel. Lupus is a long-term autoimmune disorder that may affect the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, and other organs. Lupus is a very hard disease to discover because of it’s on and off symptoms. Lupus has four types: systemic, discoid, drug-induced, and neonatal and systemic is the most common out of the four. What is Lupus? Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Under normal function, the immune system makes proteins called antibodies in order to protect and fight against antigens such as viruses and bacteria. Lupus makes the immune system unable to differentiate between antigens and healthy tissue. This leads the immune system to direct antibodies against the healthy tissue - not just antigens - causing swelling, pain, and tissue damage. An antigen is a substance capable of inducing a specific immune response. This leads to long-term (chronic) inflammation. Causes and risk factors The underlying cause of autoimmune diseases is not fully, but most believe that lupus results from both genetic and environmental stimuli. Since lupus is known to occur within families, doctors believe that it is possible to inherit a genetic predisposition to lupus. There are no known genes...
Words: 1185 - Pages: 5
...Tyler Crow Cameron Carroll BIOL 2010 Disease Project 11-10-14 Systematic Lupus Erythematosus My partner and I chose to do our project over systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects connective tissues. This disease has a “sister” form called discoid lupus erythematosus; this disease only affects the skin. For this project, however, we are only going to discuss the much more severe form of systematic lupus. A few facts about SLE is that it strikes women eight more times often than men; thus further, 15 times more often in childbearing years (Springhouse 433). This essay will cover the symptoms, etiology (cause), diagnosis, and treatment for SLE. The symptoms of SLE include intense joint pain and swelling, extreme risk and often development of arthritis, skin rash, sensitivity to sunlight, hair loss, breathing discomfort, mouth sores and fatigue (National Institute of Health). If the disease is severe and affects multiple parts of the body the symptoms can then range from brain and nervous system issues, abdominal pain, arrhythmias, lung problems including coughing up blood, and renal complications. Renal complications can cause swelling in the legs, and weight gain. All these symptoms are rarely seen in a single patient. The symptoms depend on which part of the body is affected. The cause of SLE is still unknown, however evidence strongly points to the antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) that attack its own cells...
Words: 760 - Pages: 4
...CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE Dominique Lewis Anatomy & Physiology I | BIO1011 15 South University . Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) What’s considered to be an autoimmune disorder, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) is one of the most puzzling diseases due to its overlapping characteristics. These overlapping characteristics include the diseases systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis, and polymyositis (http://lup.sagepub.com/content/15/3/132.short). Though the disease is somewhat unknown and presumably hereditary, the uncovered cause and criteria for diagnosis is linked through like antibodies and antigens (http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM197611182952101). MCTD affects numerous body systems i.e. skeletal, muscular, skeletal, digestive, and nervous (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Mixed_Connective_Tissue_Disease). Treatment for this disease is patient specific depending on the severity of each case; while the medications prescribed are ailment specific, creating a huge risk of developing side effects due to contraindications and normal use. In diagnosing these side effects, one must first explore the history of MCTD. What is Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)? In 1972 (Venables) Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) was first recognized for its overlapping features by its like or “mixed” similarities noticed in patients presenting with signs and symptoms of three autoimmune connective tissue...
Words: 702 - Pages: 3
...Abstract There are four types of lupus, systemic lupus erythematous, discoid, drug-induced, and neonatal lupus. Systemic lupus erythematous, also known as SLE or lupus and is sometimes called the “great imitator” due to the fact that it mnemonics so many other diseases. Family practice offices often misdiagnose lupus due to lack of symptoms at the time of visit, patients being poor historians and lab work that is inconclusive at that time. Discoid lupus affects only the skin and causes rashes and lesions mostly of the face, neck and scalp. During drug-induced lupus the person will experience lupus like symptoms. These symptoms usually resolve within six months after the drug is stopped. Individuals with drug- induced lupus may have a positive Antinuclear Antibody test more years after the episode. Neonatal lupus occurs when a child is born to a women with lupus. The infant may have lupus symptoms including rashes, anemia and liver problem which usually resolve within a few months. Some infants born to mothers with lupus may have serious heart defects. For the purpose of this paper the focus will be on systemic lupus erythematous. Systemic Lupus Erythematous Systemic lupus erythematous is a complex multisystem autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system misfires and makes autoantibodies that attacks its own tissue. Lupus affects as many as 1.5 million people in America. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007) Women are more commonly affected...
Words: 2199 - Pages: 9
...Lupus Erythematous: The Butterfly Effect Lupus erythematosus (LE) first originated in 1833 by many physicians throughout the historical periods of; the classical period, the neoclassical period, and the modern period. During the classical period of the 1800s, lupus was first coined. It comes from the Latin word ‘wolf’ that attributed to the thirteenth century by physician Rogerius who used the word to describe erosive facial lesions that manifested from a wolf’s bite (Lupus Foundation of America, n.d.). In the neoclassical period of the 1900s, scientists discovered that there are many sub forms of lupus, the most common type known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE has many other forms of names such as discoid and disseminated lupus....
Words: 1366 - Pages: 6
...The Lupus Foundation of America approximates that there are around 1.5 million Americans affected by a form of lupus (Rooney 54). There are two main factions of lupus: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). The popular depiction of lupus as a disease associated with lesions and superficial symptoms is not necessarily an accurate portrait. Although Lupus Erythematosus gets its name from the Latin word lupus (wolf) because the lesions resembles the pattern of a wolf bite, the most common form of the disease is SLE which does not require lesions as a criteria for diagnosis (Rooney 56). The underlying concern that both DLE and SLE share is their label as an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases work by attacking self antigens and tissues as if they were foreign (McKinley, O’Loughlin and Bidle 856). By analyzing a deconstructed look at lupus we hope to gain an insight into lupus’ pathological effect on the body and its relation to the immune system. SLE occurs when the body begins to attack its own tissues without known cause. Although there is not a definitive known cause for SLE, autoantibodies can combine to form immune complexes which can effectively damage internal tissue and the hyperactivity of b-cells contributes to the symptoms (Pullen, Brewer and Ballard 23) (Porth 1422). Genetic predisposition to SLE is evidenced by an increased concordance rate in twins (10-fold), increased incidences within family members (10%-16%), and increased...
Words: 1121 - Pages: 5
...choose is called the Lupus Foundation of America. The website is http://www.lupus.org/. I choose this foundation because lupus is a disease that is affecting many people and little is known on what causes it. I happen to be one of those people. I was diagnosed with lupus in the summer of 2007. Since then I have been taking medication to combat the symptoms but there is no current cure for the disease. Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the immune system is overly active causing it to attack healthy cells. The Lupus foundation is working to find a cure for this debilitating disease. The Lupus Foundation of America envisions a world without lupus. The organization will advance the science and medicine of lupus to find a cure and improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. The Lupus Foundation of America is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all people affected by lupus through programs of research, education and advocacy (2000, January 1). The main focus of the lupus foundation is research towards the cause and cure of lupus. It list support groups for people with the disease as well as family members, care givers and friends. The national research program called Bringing Down the Barriers was created in 1977and was the first private national research program. Some of the recent goals are: Lead Scientific Initiatives to Address Barriers in Lupus Drug Development, Fund Lupus Investigators Directly to Advance Understanding of Lupus and, Advocate to Greatly...
Words: 476 - Pages: 2
