ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. About 1.5 million Americans have it, and there are at least 16 thousand new cases each year. Ivanhoe has more on some uncommon symptoms that will make you think twice.
Award-winning singer Toni Braxton was diagnosed with lupus in 2008. Her most persistent symptom … blood clots.
Richard Nash, MD, Physician at Colorado Blood Cancer Institute says, “Some autoimmune diseases can be mild and, and vary, can be manageable, and some can be very severe and then resistant to therapy.”
No two patients share the same exact symptoms. In fact, there are quite a few symptoms that are lesser known. Number one … psychosis. It is described as delusions or hallucinations. About 12 percent of patients experience it.
A few more little-known symptoms are vertigo, Raynaud’s Syndrome, and oral health problems, like gum disease.
Doctor Nash says, “Common treatments are treatments that are going to suppress the immune system so that when patients develop an autoimmune disorder, there’s activity of the immune system against that organ system.”
And despite her illness, Toni Braxton is still releasing new music.
Some other symptoms are severe headaches, nerve complications, vision loss, and weight fluctuations.
Contributors to this news report include: Adahlia Thomas, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.
Sources:
https://lupusgreaterohio.org/lupus-facts-and-statistics/
https://lupusnewstoday.com/social-clips/less-common-symptoms-lupus/
https://lupus.net/symptoms/psychosis
FIVE SURPRISING SYMPTOMS OF LUPUS
REPORT #3078
BACKGROUND: It is a chronic and complex autoimmune disease and can affect any part of the body. It causes widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organ. The most impacted areas of the body are the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels. While anyone can get it, the disease most often affects women. In fact, women make up about 9 out of 10 adults with the disease. It’s also more common in women of African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent. The cause remains unknown, but there is solid evidence that genetics, epigenetics (changes in chromosomes that affect gene activity), environmental factors, viruses, and infections play a role.
TYPES, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT: The most common type is called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects many parts of the body. Cutaneous lupus causes a rash or lesion on the skin, usually when exposed to sunlight. Drug-induced lupus, like SLE, is caused by an overreaction to certain medications. Symptoms usually disappear once the medicine is stopped. Neonatal lupus occurs when an infant acquires autoantibodies from its mother with SLE. There is no single test to definitively diagnose it, and it could take months or even years to be sure. A doctor will conduct a complete medical history and physical exam, including blood tests. Several doctors might be needed to treat the many symptoms. A rheumatologist treats arthritis and other diseases that cause swelling in the joints; a clinical immunologist for treating immune system disorders; a nephrologist (kidney disease); a hematologist (blood disorders); a dermatologist (skin diseases); a neurologist (the nervous system); a cardiologist (heart and blood vessel problems); and an endocrinologist (glands and hormones).
NEW FINDINGS: Scientists at University College London have discovered why some patients may react positively to certain drugs. The BEAT LUPUS trial aimed to see whether treating people with belimumab after rituximab could reduce flare ups. When looking at the group who received the combination of rituximab with belimumab, the trial found that a greater number of patients had a positive response compared to rituximab alone. Researchers looked at how each person in the study responded to treatment. Then, they used artificial intelligence to identify any biological markers in common between patients who had similar responses. The group treated with rituximab and belimumab had less of a biological marker in their blood compared with the placebo group, and had fewer severe flares. Professor Mike Ehrenstein, the lead on this study, said, “We know that combination drug treatment with rituximab followed by belimumab can reduce disease activity in lupus, and now we’ve found that we can predict who will best respond to this combination of drugs, meaning we can give treatment in a more targeted way.”
* For More Information, Contact: Stephanie Sullivan
stephanie.sullivan@HealthONEcares.com
Tana Sykes
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