What is Systemic lupus erythematosus?
Systemic lupus erythematosus , SLE, is an autoimmune disease resulting in organ and cell damage in multiple systems of the body. Autoantibodies and immune complexes mediate in the develop of SLE.
Who suffer from SLE?
About 90% of the patients of SLE are women of reproductive age though Systemic lupus erythematosus can be seen in people of both the sexes and ages.
Why do people suffer from Systemic lupus erythematosus?
The reason for abnormal immune response, autoimmunity, is the result of interaction between the genes which are susceptible to SLE and certain environmental factors which predispose to SLE. This leads to presence of autoantigens, autoantibodies and immune complexes for longer time in the body causing inflammation and hence disease develops.
What are the symptoms of SLE ?
The symptoms of Systemic lupus erythematosus are made based on the severity and reversibility of the illness which means symptoms which are mild to life-threatening.
The systemic symptoms of SLE correspond to the specific type of susceptible gene affected which is not the same in all the patients with SLE.
The symptoms of Systemic lupus erythematosus can be studied as follows :
Systemic manifestations : Fatigue. Myalgias. Arthralgias. Fever. Weight loss. Anaemia are the symptoms indicative of systems getting affected.
Musculoskeletal symptoms :
Pain in multiple joints (Polyarthritis), tenderness in joints , mostly in hands, wrists, knees. Myositis and/or Myalgias. Muscle weakness
Skin symptoms of SLE :
The symptoms of skin in SLE is called as Lupus dermatitis which range from acute to chronic skin complaints. Discoid lupus erythematosus is seen as a chronic condition with the presence of rough circular lesions which may disfigure the face and scalp. Acute skin symptoms are due to photosensitivity with reddish scaly lesion on the face, (characteristically known as “butterfly rash”), ears, chin, upper back neck and upper extremities. Urticaria, lichen-planus-like dermatitis, bullae are other SLE rashes either minor or severe. Small ulcerations of SLE may also appear in the mouth and nose.
Kidney symptoms of SLE :
Lupus nephritis is the termed used to denote the symptoms of SLE when kidneys are affected. The patients complain of haematuria, proteinuria and renal hypertension. In some, symptoms of nephrotic syndrome develop. In patients who fail to get adequate treatment for lupus nephritis land into end-stage renal disease (ESRD) which is irreversible kidney damage.
Nervous system symptoms :
The major cause of sickness and death in some of the patients is the severity of nervous system manifestations of SLE. Both the central and peripheral nervous systems are affected. The patients complain of memory and reasoning problems. Headache become common and regular. Seizures may occur due to Systemic lupus erythematosus.
Vascular and Haematological manifestations :
Anaemia, leukopenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, splenomegaly are the result of autoimmunity in SLE . Also, occlusion in the vessels due to atherosclerosis may lead to transient ischemic attacks, strokes and myocardial infarctions.
Lung and Heart symptoms :
Pleurisy, Pericarditis, Effusion. Myocarditis, Endocarditis. Coronary artery disease(CAD). Pulmonary hypertension.
How is SLE diagnosed?
The tests done for SLE are (1) to confirm or rule out the diagnosis, (2) to know the course and severity of the disease and (3) to know the side-effects of the undergoing treatment.
Laboratory test such as test for autoantibodies are done. Screening tests for complete blood count, platelet count and urine analysis are the test done as part of Systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosis.
Treatment for SLE :
As explained above, SLE is a progressive disease and therefore the aim of doctors at Positive Homeopathy Clinics is to reduce the remissions of acute complaints followed by strategy to reverse the pathology at whatever extent it is possible. The inflammatory stage and reversible nature of Systemic lupus erythematosus is well treated at Positive Homeopathy by the experienced doctors. In case of chronic and irreversible changes, homeopathy can provide palliative care by delaying the complications that could arise from such a stage of SLE. Positive Homeopathy has medicines which bring about palliative cure in life-threatening situations such as organ damage. But it is wise to approach a homeopathic doctor for early diagnosis and initiation of treatment for SLE so that doctors at Positive Homeopathy can have time to provide the best homeopathic treatment for SLE and other autoimmune diseases.
