| Due to the fact that it involves | | | | ranging from mild to severe. Despite the |
| impairments of the immune system and | | | | fact that SLE commonly affects people |
| determines the body to destroy its own | | | | with ages between 15 and 40, it can also |
| healthy cells and tissues, lupus is | | | | affect the very young or the elderly. |
| defined as an autoimmune disease. A | | | | Systemic lupus is considered a highly |
| major characteristic of lupus and | | | | problematic disease, being difficult to |
| autoimmune diseases in general is the | | | | diagnose and often requiring ongoing |
| multitude of generated symptoms. When | | | | combination treatments. |
| the compromised immune system becomes | | | | Discoid Lupus Erythematosus is a type of |
| confused and targets healthy blood cells | | | | lupus that primarily affects the skin. |
| and tissues instead of external | | | | In the absence of the appropriate |
| antigens, the disease can affect | | | | treatment, discoid lupus can become |
| virtually any part of the body, | | | | systemic over the course of time. In its |
| producing a wide variety of symptoms | | | | first stages of progression, discoid |
| that are often uncharacteristic to | | | | lupus produces inflammation and rashes |
| autoimmune diseases in general. Lupus | | | | on the face, scalp, or other body |
| commonly affects the joints, skin, blood | | | | regions. In time, the rashes become |
| vessels, heart, lungs and even the brain | | | | prominent, thickened and may even |
| (central nervous system). The symptoms | | | | increase in size. The skin lesions |
| generally produced by lupus and other | | | | caused by discoid lupus may also involve |
| similar autoimmune diseases have an | | | | scaling and blistering. Although lupus |
| unspecific character, often being | | | | rashes may ameliorate or even completely |
| misleading in diagnosing the disease. | | | | clear up with the aid of treatment, they |
| Lupus often generates symptoms such as | | | | tend to recur after a certain amount of |
| pronounced fatigue, body weakness, pain, | | | | time. |
| swelling and stiffness of the joints, | | | | Drug-induced lupus is a rare form of the |
| fever, kidney affections and skin | | | | disease that occurs as a result of |
| rashes. | | | | medication intolerance. This type of |
| Medical scientists haven't yet been able | | | | lupus produces symptoms that are very |
| to find a cure for lupus. In the absence | | | | similar to systemic lupus erythematosus: |
| of a specific cure, doctors can only | | | | rash, unexplained fever, pulmonary and |
| control the symptoms produced by the | | | | coronary affections, and arthritis. |
| disease and prevent the occurrence of | | | | However, unlike the systemic form of the |
| further complications. With the | | | | disease, drug-induced lupus doesn't |
| appropriate treatment, the majority of | | | | involve kidney impairments and often |
| patients diagnosed with lupus can live | | | | disappears as soon as the causative |
| healthy and active lives. The | | | | drugs are no longer administered. The |
| progression of lupus is fluctuant and | | | | most common medications that have been |
| unpredictable, the disease alternating | | | | identified to cause drug-induced lupus |
| between periods of symptomatic | | | | are: hydralazine (Apresoline), |
| exacerbation and periods of remission. | | | | methyldopa (Aldomet), procainamide |
| The main goal of the existing treatments | | | | (Procan), isoniazid (INH), quinidine |
| of lupus is to prolong the periods of | | | | (Quinaglute), phenytoin (Dilantin) and |
| remission and to ease the phases of | | | | carbamazepine (Tegretol). |
| relapse. Medical scientists hope that in | | | | The last type of lupus refers to the |
| the near future they will be able to | | | | neonatal form of the disease. Neonatal |
| come up with an efficient cure for | | | | lupus is a very rare disease that |
| lupus, a treatment that can gradually | | | | affects newborn babies of mothers |
| reverse the effects produced by the | | | | diagnosed with systemic lupus |
| disease and prevent the occurrence of | | | | erythematosus or other similar |
| flares. The ongoing research upon this | | | | autoimmune diseases. Infants affected by |
| matter will probably result in finding | | | | this type of lupus often suffer from |
| the specific cure for lupus in the | | | | congenital heart and circulatory |
| following couple of years. | | | | problems. Sometimes, infants with |
| The term "Lupus" comprises a variety of | | | | neonatal lupus may also suffer from |
| distinctive types that can be classified | | | | liver conditions and skin affections. |
| as follows: | | | | When the disease is promptly diagnosed, |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, (SLE), the | | | | the young patients' life expectancy and |
| most common type of lupus, has a | | | | overall condition can be improved with |
| pronounced polyvalent character. The | | | | treatment. Prompt medical intervention |
| systemic form of lupus can affect | | | | is crucial for patients with suspected |
| multiple parts of the body and cause a | | | | neonatal lupus. |
| wide variety of unspecific symptoms, | | | | |