...Have you ever thought that your body would 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...
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...Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)-Hydroxychloroquine Description: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a chronic auto-immune disease that can affect and/or damage any part of the body. Systemic means that it targets systems of the body (Integumentary, Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular, Hematologic, Lymphatic, and Immune Systems) Lupus is also a disease of flairs (worsening of symptoms and illness), and remissions (alleviation of symptoms and general good health). In Lupus, there is a deviation in the Immune system, which fights off infections from germs, viruses, and bacteria. Auto-immune means that the Immune system cannot tell the difference between these “foreign” elements and the normal, healthy tissues of the body. Signs and Symptoms: Symptoms...
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...Lupus is an inflammatory disease. It attacks your own body, including your immune system and tissue. One of its main and most commonly noticed symptoms is a “butterfly” rash. It spreads across both cheeks and got its name by resembling a butterfly’s wings. Lupus attacks parts of the body including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, hearts, lungs and brain. Unfortunately there is not cure for Lupus. Some people can develop it from certain drug use, others from sunlight. Other times a person is born with more of a tendency to develop Lupus over time that can be caused by certain infections. Although there is no for sure known cause of Lupus there are some ideas behind how it could be triggered. A person’s immune system and environment are a huge part of becoming ill, as well as genetics. A person with a history of Lupus in...
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...The chronic illness focused on in this psychosocial assessment is Lupus. Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease in which the patient’s own immune system causes dysfunction in the body’s tissues and organs. Lupus can cause inflammation affecting one or more different areas of the body such as the joints, kidneys, skin, brain, lungs heart and blood cells. Some individuals are born predisposed to the development of lupus which can be triggered by infections, certain pharmaceuticals and in some cases sunlight. Risk factors for lupus include gender, ninety percent or more people with lupus are female; race: lupus occurs more within African American, Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations than in the white population;...
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...Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes excessive inflammation. About 2 million Americans suffer from it and its cases have been reported from as early as middle age. The disease got its name after the Latin word lupus which means ‘wolf’. It is because the disease causes a classic facial rash that gives the appearance of a wolf. It was a 12th century physician that gave it this name. In this article, we will debunk some common misconceptions around this disease so that its sufferers can manage it better. Number Six: It is contagious or can be transmitted sexually Lupus is not caused by a carrier, i.e. a virus, bacterium or any infectious agent. Hence, it cannot be transmitted from one person to another. It could, however, pass from mother...
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...more than 5% for women than men, 10 million people have passed from the ages 39-52. Some people are born to evolve lupus. The symptoms are very tough to discover and it strikes at your own tissues and organs most people experience joint pain, rash, and fever. Likewise, people can have pain while breathing and it's a very sharp pain in the chest, the mouth gets very dry and your skin starts to develop red rashes or scaly rashes. Generally, women are the ones that are diagnosed with lupus at the age of 15-44, on top of that researchers say that African American women are easily prone to being diagnosed with lupus. In the United States, 1.5 million Americans have been recognized with lupus, while throughout the world at least 5 million people have lupus. Lupus impacts 90% of women in the whole...
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...into contact with someone who has Systemic Lupus Erythematosus whether it was a family member or just an acquaintance. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is considered to be a complex disease, and the cause is idiopathic. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a chronic disease where symptoms can worsen and alternate depending on the condition of the patient’s body. In addition, researchers are constantly investigating the cause, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Although (SLE) cannot be cured patients can still live a normal life. Thus, this research will explore Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and answer the following questions: 1. What is the cause of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus? 2. What is the diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus? 3. What are the symptoms of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus? 4. What is the treatment for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus? Hence, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus disease can never be cured it can become well maintained if the patient chooses to live a healthy lifestyle. What is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus? What is the Cause of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus? There is no exact cause of Systemic Lupus...
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...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...
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...Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE) Section 1 1.1 Definition Lupus Erythematosus (LE) is an autoimmune disease that exists on a spectrum. On one part of the spectrum, there is Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) which mainly affects the skin and on the other hand Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) has more systematic implications in regards to important organs in the human body such as the brain, lungs and the heart. SLE is also known as Lupus, is a chronic, long-term disease that is not able to distinguish between healthy tissues and damaged tissues. This causes Lupus to affect several organs and is characterized by the formation of antibodies against certain kinds of self-antigens (Gleichmann, Elven, Van Der Veen & J. P. W., 1982). The disease...
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...Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is considered one of many immune system disorders(5). SLE is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects many parts of the body through an autoimmune process(2). A natural immune system creates antibodies to fight antigens which are harmful substances such as viruses and bacteria. Whereas in SLE, the immune system does not differentiate between the natural tissues of the body and the foreign particles(5)(6). Auto-antibodies are produced that mistakenly attack the immune system itself and cause inflammation and damage to various body tissues(6)(7). The disease course is marked by remissions and relapses and may vary from mild to severe. Just like many immune system disorders,...
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...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...
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...the Lupus Foundation of America who develop research to solve the mysteries of lupus in patients throughout the United States. Lupus is an inflammatory disease which causes the immune system to attack itself. One of the reasons why I have dedicated myself to bringing awareness to this disease is because I was diagnosed with SLE lupus in 2011. Since being diagnosed I’ve had two kidney biopsies which resulted in lupus affecting my kidneys. When I was first diagnosed with lupus I felt frightened, nervous, and overwhelmed and it was not until I began researching more on the chronic disease that I learned about the Lupus Foundations of America and the achievements and advancements they have accomplished to help patients like myself with Lupus....
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...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...
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...Personal Impact Paper Anissa Spada Rn May 3, 2012 NUR427 Laurie Baumgartner RN, MSN, CNS, NP, CCRN Introduction This paper will examine the chronic disease of lupus. A big portion of information in the paper comes from a patient Anna. The areas of her life that are affected by the disease , and the motivators for lifestyle change are discussed. The education of Anna regarding the disease and learning model theory will be examined. What is Lupus? Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease. The immune system fights off invaders in the body. The body develops antibodies to protect from invaders. The immune system affected by lupus cannot tell the difference between good and bad tissue. This process causes the immune system to attack itself. There are many different types of lupus. The type Anna has is cutaneous and systemic. Cutaneous affects the skin. Systemic lupus in her case affects the joints. Cutaneous lupus causes skin rashes/lesions. The most familiar rash is the butterfly rash. The rash occurs on the bridge of the nose and across upper cheeks. Systemic lupus cause the joints become painful and inflamed. Anna The interview with Anna was held over a couple of days. Anna was diagnosed a year and a half ago with lupus. Anna believes that she has had the disease for longer than a year and a half. The rashes that she experienced had been occurring since she was...
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...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...
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