Lupus is a kind of autoimmune disease, in which a person’s immune system creates antibodies that attack their own body tissues. A lot of the symptoms are quite similar to other diseases, making its treatment rather difficult, especially as there is no single test that can categorically diagnose lupus.
Lupus is usually distinguished by a red rash that appears on the nose and cheeks and sometimes over the whole body. When exposed to the sun, the rash will get worse. Unexplained bouts of fever sometimes may attack, and painful arthritis of the joints can also be a problem. The fact that lupus symptoms can constantly change is an obstacle for in the way of its treatment. Patients may suffer hair loss, mouth ulcers, headaches, chest pain and even depression with lupus. It is hard to say how many parts of the body will be affected by lupus- sometimes it is only one part, like the skin, and sometimes many areas are affected, making the diagnosis and treatment of lupus troublesome.
Systemic lupus can affect primary organs in the body like the lungs, which develop an inflammation in the lining, leading to chest pain. If this is ignored, it can eventually deteriorate into pneumonia. Doctors often can only treat the symptoms of lupus, as it may be too hard to diagnose the real cause. Kidneys can be affected by lupus too, the and only signals being swollen ankles and an abnormal blood or urine reading. The heart, blood vessels, and the nervous system are also targets of lupus(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Lupus.html).
Usually, the treatment of lupus is the same as the treatment of corticosteroids. Patients are always be asked to pay close attention to any sign of flare-ups, and immediate precautions like the use of a strong sunscreen and the reduction of stress are all used in the treatment of lupus. Pregnant women have to be especially careful and must quickly treat lupus flare-ups to avoid miscarriage. Men with lupus should test their PSA(prostate-specific antigen), and women should have regular breast and gynecological tests. Both should have regular blood pressure and cholesterol levels checks.
Is there a natural remedy for lupus(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Lupus.html)? Can natural herbs be used in the treatment of lupus? Doctors often advise patients to add vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin D and folic acid to their medication as a natural remedy for lupus. Exercise is also a good natural remedy for lupus as it reduces stress levels and in turn mitigates any flare-ups.
The Medical University of South Carolina, in collaboration with the Research and Education Foundation of the American College of Rheumatology has studied the effectiveness of treating lupus with Vitamin D therapy in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and the study is continuing. The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA)does a lot of research into the causes, prevention and treatment of lupus(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Lupus.html) as well.