Lupus - Why Did You Choose This Disease to Research?

LUPUS

Why did you choose this disease to research?

People never walk around imagining if they could survive the flu every day and all year, so imagine having Lupus. Eight months ago, my sister was diagnosed with Lupus. Our family didn’t expect it, or understood how or why we never saw the symptoms until they effected everything about her. The disease literally robbed my sister of her life, young adulthood, and appearance, emotional and physical well-being. Prior to diagnosis, my sister went from being a young vibrant 25 year old woman to looking and moving around like a 60 year old woman. She described Lupus as having the flu and very exhausting. My sister’s diagnosis caused a spilt in the family because we had so much unforeseen strain on us. Being financially stable and secure, I basically had to step in to be financially responsible for all of her needs. I started to feel like I, too, had been diagnosed with the unpredictable and confusing disease.

Like my sister, I suffered many emotional moments and extreme frustration. However, I cannot imagine being in her condition. She recalled the feelings of depression, fear, stress, and anxiety that stemmed from the disease and explained how important it is to catch and manage it. I chose to research this disease because I know the disease, but always wandered where it really came from, who all it affects, and wanted people to understand how to cope with the disease.

What is the disease? Define it.

Lupus is a complicated and confusing disease that is often misdiagnosed. It is a disease that affects the immune system—the body’s defense mechanism; which produces antibodies that fights off bacteria, viruses, and infections (Cherney, K. and Pietrangelo, A. 2015). People that suffers from the Lupus disease, have B cells that fights against their own body’s immune system. With these B cells attacking the immune system, body tissue may become inflamed (Barclay, R. 2013).

What are the symptoms of the disease?

Lupus is a complicated disease that affects many organs in the body and has many symptoms. Lupus symptoms can vary from person to person. While the symptoms can be temporary, minor, or major, they have the ability to change over time. The changes can be related or unrelated to the disease itself and can cause organ damage.

There are many common symptoms of lupus, including:

• Hair loss or damage
• High Blood Pressure
• Exhaustion and restlessness while feeling fatigue
• High fevers, exceeding 100 degrees
• Muscle and joint swelling, pain, and stiffness
• Painless sores that occurs in the mouth or nose
• Skin sores and rashes on the cheeks and nose
• Severe sunburn

(Sundbom, K. 2013)

What are the causes?

The cause for lupus is unknown. There is no proven reason Lupus occurs or know research to support how it forms. However, many factors can be the cause of the disease; such as environmental factors, sunlight, toxins, and infections. What is known about the disease is it may have a genetic component and usually runs in families. On the other hand, more women are diagnosed and living with lupus than men. According to Healthline Media, 90 percent of the people with lupus are women (Barclay, R. 2013).

What is the diagnosis?  How was it found?  

Since lupus have many different symptoms that affect people in different ways, it makes the disease unpredictable and diagnosing it, difficult. Sometimes, an accurate diagnosis can take months and even years to determine; because an accurate lupus diagnosis consists of many signs, symptoms, and tests (Sundbom, K. 2013). Many people with living was diagnosed with the disease after a series of symptoms, physical examinations, medical history, and a combination of urine and blood tests (Barclay, R. 2013). However, it is important that a person suffering from symptoms seek medical attention from a doctor familiar with the disease.

Describe the prognosis and treatments (i.e. drugs, surgery).

Person with Lupus usually are seen and treated by a Rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in the musculoskeletal system (Barclay, R. 2013). The doctor treats patients based on their personal medical care needs with different laboratory tests, imaging tests, biopsies, and medications. First, some laboratory tests may consist of blood and urine testing. These tests measure the complete blood cell counts; determines the rate at which red blood cells settle, assess how the liver and kidney functions, samples the amount of protein is present in the urine, and tests the amount of antibodies in the urine (Cherney, K. and Pietrangelo, A. 2015) .