Please consult your doctor or regular health physician before following suggestions found in any Sun Day health columns/stories.
In Part 1 of this series, lupus (SLE) was described as a very serious autoimmune disease, where over a period of time, the body’s defense system can attack multiple organs in the body. No single test exists today that can confirm a positive diagnosis of lupus.
“Symptoms of lupus come and go, change over time, and often imitate other illnesses, making lupus difficult to diagnose,” Diane Magerko, a volunteer at the Illinois Chapter of Lupus Foundation of America, said. “Common symptoms include joint pain, skin rashes, overwhelming fatigue, and fevers that last for days. The exact cause of lupus is unknown, but it is not contagious.”
The vice-president of the same chapter, Mary Dollear, said the type of doctors that typically work with lupus patients are rheumatologists. She said that they can “provide an accurate lupus diagnosis.”
Concerning the possibility of misdiagnosing lupus for other diseases, Mary said, “If lupus is affecting the central nervous system, it can be confused with multiple sclerosis. Besides other autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, for example), lupus can be misdiagnosed as many different illnesses, including depression.”
Guidelines established by The American College of Rheumatology focus on 11 abnormalities that may be seen in the disease. To be diagnosed as having SLE, patients must exhibit four of the 11 symptoms.
Outstanding abnormalities include lung and heart inflammation, mouth and nose lining sores, nonerosive arthritis indicating swelling and pain, ultraviolet light causing skin rash or other symptoms, low red blood cell and low platelet counts, kidney disorder with high protein count, seizures and psychosis indicating neurological disorder, and other skin rashes. A variety of blood tests may also be added by the doctor to aid in diagnosis.
How then is lupus treated? Medicalnewstoday.com answers: “Treating lupus effectively consists of minimizing symptoms, reducing inflammation and pain, helping maintain normal function, and preventing serious complications.”
Treatments are individualized depending on the problems that arise and the severity of the disease in each patient. Mild or moderate symptoms call for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antimalarial drugs, and corticosteroids. Severe or aggressive symptoms call for high-dose corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs.
Chemo drugs have also been used to control symptoms. All of these medicines, of course, carry their own share of side-effects.
“In March of 2010, the first drug in over 50 years was approved by the FDA to treat lupus,” Dollear said. “The other drugs used to treat lupus were not developed for lupus but for other uses and the treatments were found beneficial to lupus patients.”
Dollear concluded by explaining why there are so many obstacles that have produced a lack of FDA approved treatments:
“First, lupus is not very well understood in the general population. It is a multi-system and fluctuates from extreme to mild cases to name just a few,” she said. “Although it’s estimated one in every 200 Americans has a form of lupus, there are very few similarities in lupus cases, which means finding a large enough sample size to determine efficacy can take years. The good news is there are several new drugs in the pipeline. We’re hopeful to have new and better treatments soon.”
Other common treatments prescribed by rheumatologists may include staying out of the sun and wearing sun block and taking medication to treat fatigue.
Healthy lifestyle choices such as regular exercise, not smoking, eating properly, and having a support system of family, friends, and needed medical personnel are recommended as well.
Because climate changes can make lupus symptoms worse, it is suggested that those individuals under serious treatment live in an environment with minimal weather fluctuations. Pregnancy for the mother and/or the child can lead to a period of extreme lupus stress.
It is very important for a doctor consultation during this time of treatment. For physician and hospital treatment info, call Dollear at 312-542-0002 or 312-648-6053.
“If someone is interested in starting a support group in Huntley, we will work with them, and they can contact us [after first consulting Cathy Segarra, Centegra Wellness Program Manager].”
Local support groups are listed:
1. Swedish American Hospital, Rockford, 4th Floor, on the 2nd Saturday of the month/unless a holiday, then 3rd Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Leaders are Shaunda Anderson or Myla Meeks
2. Palatine Lupus Support Group: Contact Leader Lori Mierzwa for meeting date and location; look on Group Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/#!/groups/179736108790115/
The Walk to End Lupus Now events are coming up in Bartlett on July 13, Naperville on August 10, and Chicago on Sept. 29. For more information on all services and programs, as well as fundraisers, visit the website at www.lupusil.org or call 312-542-0002.
