10 Symptoms of lupus in women that should be watched out for

Although lupus is a disease that can affect all genders, Womens Health notes that 90 percent of lupus patients are women. Worse, lupus attacks many women who are in their productive period. Head of the Division of Rheumatology and Lupus Center at NYU Langone Health, dr. Jill Buyon said that lupus is an autoimmune disease that cannot be cured and has not found a cure. To recognize it, here are the various symptoms of lupus.

What is lupus?

Lupus is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that occurs when your immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. It is called chronic because the signs and symptoms appear long enough, around more than six weeks or even years.

In lupus, the immune system goes wrong. In people with lupus, the immune system cannot tell which foreign "invaders" are from outside and which are healthy tissue. As a result, antibodies that are supposed to be created to fight disease-causing germs actually attack and destroy healthy tissue in the body.

This condition eventually causes inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body. Inflammation caused by lupus can usually affect body systems including the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs.

Types of lupus

Reporting from the Lupus Foundation of America, this condition, which is also called a thousand faces disease, has four different types, namely:

Systemic lupus erythematosus

This condition is the most common form of lupus. The symptoms it causes can be mild, it can be severe. Usually this disease attacks several main organs, namely the kidneys, nervous system and brain, to the heart. Therefore, systemic lupus tends to be more severe than other types of lupus.

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus

In this type, lupus affects only the skin. As a result, people affected by this condition will have a rash on their skin. Usually the rash that appears is a discoid rash, which is a condition when the skin is scaly and reddish but does not feel itchy.

Apart from that, this type of lupus also causes a rash on the cheeks and bridge of the nose. This condition is known as butterfly rash because it resembles the animal.

In addition, rashes and other sores can appear on the face, mouth, nose, vagina, neck, or scalp, especially areas exposed to the sun. Hair loss and skin discoloration are also symptoms of this type of lupus.

Drug-induced lupus erythematosus

This type of chronic inflammatory disease is usually caused by certain drugs. Usually the lupus symptoms triggered by these drugs are similar to systemic lupus but rarely attack the main organs. Generally, the drugs most often associated with this type of lupus are:

• Hydralazine, to treat high blood pressure or hypertension.
• Procainamide, to overcome an irregular heartbeat.
• Isoniazid, to treat tuberculosis.

This type of lupus usually affects men more often. However, not everyone who uses this drug will experience lupus. Generally, lupus-like symptoms will disappear within six months after this treatment is stopped.

Neonatal lupus

This type of lupus is actually a rare case that affects baby girls. This condition is usually caused by antibodies from the mother affecting the baby in the womb. At birth, babies will develop skin rashes, liver problems, or low blood cell counts.

However, these symptoms usually go away completely after a few months. Some babies born with neonatal lupus can also have serious heart defects. With the right examination, the doctor will help identify the risks to the mother so that the baby can be treated before birth.

Causes of lupus

Apart from being caused by an error in the immune system, this condition is often triggered by several conditions, such as:

• Sunlight, exposure can trigger a response in the body in susceptible people.
• Infection, can trigger lupus or cause recurrence of symptoms in some people.
• Drugs, can be triggered by certain drugs. Usually the symptoms will improve when you stop taking the drug.

Symptoms of lupus

The sooner the disease is detected, the various symptoms can be treated as early and as effectively as possible. However, lupus can sometimes be difficult to diagnose because the signs and symptoms are often similar to those of other diseases. The following are various symptoms of lupus that should be watched out for.

1. Rash on the face that looks like a butterfly

The first and very characteristic symptom of lupus in women is a skin rash on the face. Usually, the rash will appear like a butterfly, extending from the nasal bones, both cheeks, to the jawbone. This type of rash is referred to as butterfly rash . Usually this happens because the skin experiences sensitivity to light.

2. Muscle and joint pain

Pain in muscles and joints usually appears in the morning when you wake up. Apart from pain, the joints also experience swelling and feel stiff. Usually the parts affected are the wrists, knuckles, and fingers. Joint pain in lupus generally only appears on one side of the hand.

In addition, this swelling and pain tends to come and go, not getting worse from day to day like rheumatism.

3. Chest pain

Lupus can trigger inflammation of the membranes lining the lungs and heart. As a result, people with lupus will experience chest pain and shortness of breath.

4. Tiring easily

Lupus is a disease that can cause interference with blood cells. For example, a white blood cell count that is too low, blood platelets that are too low, or a low red blood cell count which results in anemia.

As a result, the body becomes easily tired and less enthusiastic. Not only that, the body affected by lupus also gets tired more easily because the various functions of your body's organs begin to be disrupted.

5. Problems with the kidneys

The kidneys are one of the organs in the body that can experience complications due to lupus. Experts argue that this is related to the antibody cells that are supposed to protect the body instead of attacking the body, one of which is the kidneys. This condition sometimes results in permanent damage to the kidneys.

One of the symptoms of lupus that causes kidney problems, including weight gain, swollen ankles, high blood pressure, and decreased kidney function.

6. Mental disorders and brain function

If a person has lupus, their central nervous system will be affected. This condition causes various mental problems such as depression, anxiety, fear, to unreasonable confusion.

Not only that, but lupus can also attack the brain which can cause a person to go into seizures and temporarily lose memory. Therefore, if you experience this accompanied by other symptoms of lupus, immediately consult a doctor to determine the cause.

7. Fever

People with lupus often have a fever that is usually more than 38 degrees Celsius. This occurs in response to inflammation and infection in the body.

Therefore, the body temperature will increase beyond normal. If the fever does not go down for days, you need to immediately see a doctor to ask for a proper diagnosis of your current condition.

8. Weight loss suddenly

Sudden weight loss for no apparent reason can be a sign of serious illness. In lupus, this is caused by a compromised immune system which ultimately affects the thyroid and certain hormones.

As a result, you can lose several pounds for no apparent reason.

9. Thinning hair

Thinning hair is one of the symptoms of lupus in women due to inflammation of the scalp. Usually this is also caused by a thyroid level that is too low or also called hypothyroidism.

As a result, the loss starts to happen slowly. In addition, hair usually becomes more brittle and breaks easily.

10. Mouth ulcers

Mouth ulcers are one of the symptoms of lupus that appear in the early days. Usually, sores will appear on the roof of the mouth, gums, on the inner cheeks, and also on the lips. These sores do not always cause pain, but can also be characterized by dry mouth conditions.

Even so, not everyone will experience the ten lupus symptoms above. It may be that some people experience only one or two symptoms. That is why it is difficult to make these symptoms an absolute reference.

The most important thing is that you have to be sensitive to your own body. Don't hesitate to check with your doctor if you experience any unusual symptoms that appear for no apparent reason.

Risk factors for lupus

The following are various factors that make a person more susceptible to lupus than others, namely:

• Gender, compared to men, this chronic inflammatory disease is more common in women.
• Age, although it often occurs in all age ranges, this condition most often strikes at the age of 15 to 45 years.
• Race, it is more common in Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women.
• Family history, people whose families have lupus are more at risk of developing this disease.

Complications of lupus

Inflammation caused by lupus can affect various parts of the body, such as:

• Kidney, causing serious kidney damage and kidney failure.
• Brain and central nervous system, causes memory problems, confusion, headaches, and strokes.
• Blood and veins, causes inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis).
• Lungs, increases the risk of pleurisy, pulmonary bleeding, and pneumonia.
• Heart, causes inflammation of the heart muscle, arteries, and heart membranes.
• Infection, people with lupus are more susceptible to infections of any kind.
• Cancer, increases the risk of cancer even though it is less likely.
• Bone tissue death, occurs due to reduced blood supply to the bones.
• Pregnancy complications, lupus increases the risk of preeclampsia and preterm birth.

Treatment of lupus

Doctor care

There is no specific drug to treat lupus. However, certain medications can help relieve symptoms. In addition, some drugs are also intended to reduce the risk of organ damage. The following drugs are usually prescribed for people with lupus, namely:

Anti-inflammatory and pain relievers

Anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers can be used to help relieve symptoms of lupus, such as fever, arthritis, and pain in other parts of the body. Aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen, and ibuprofen are drugs that are often prescribed by doctors.

Corticoseroids

This one drug is made to help reduce swelling, inflammation, and pain when touched on inflamed parts of the body.

Prednisone is a type of corticoseroid drug that is most often prescribed for people with a disease which is also known as a thousand faces disease.

Methylprednisolone as a high-dose corticosteroid drug is often used to control serious problems in the kidneys and brain. The side effects that often arise are weight gain, easy bruising, brittle bones, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of infection.

Antimalarial

Antimalarials are prescription drugs that contain a combination of steroids with other drugs. Usually this one drug is most often prescribed when people with lupus experience skin rashes, mouth sores, and joint pain.

In addition, this drug is also quite effective in helping to deal with inflammation and mild blood clots.

Anti-malarial drugs reduce the production of autoantibodies in the immune system to protect against the damaging effects of lupus. Usually the two most commonly prescribed antimalarials are hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil®) and chloroquine (Aralen®).

However, unlike corticosteroids, antimalarial drugs tend to have a slower effect when dealing with lupus symptoms. The side effects of this drug tend to be mild, such as stomach upset and skin discoloration.

Immunosuppressants

Medicines that suppress the immune system are usually used to control inflammation due to an overactive immune system. Especially if steroids are no longer able to control lupus symptoms.

Azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept) and methotrexate (Trexall) are types of drugs that doctors usually prescribe. However, this one drug also has side effects that cannot be underestimated such as an increased risk of infection, liver damage, decreased fertility, and an increased risk of cancer.

Anticoagulants

Blood clots are one of the symptoms of lupus that can be life-threatening. For this reason, doctors will usually prescribe anticoagulant drugs to help thin the blood. Anticoagulant drugs that are often used include low-dose aspirin, heparin (Calciparine®, Liquaemin®), and warfarin (Coumadin®).

Home care

Apart from medication, there are several other habits that can help relieve pain or reduce the recurrence of lupus symptoms, namely:

• Doing light exercise to help maintain overall body health.
• Protect yourself from sun exposure with closed clothes and sunscreen.
• Stay away from stress so that symptoms don't get worse.
• Stop smoking so that the negative effects of lupus on the heart are avoided.
• Eat healthy foods with balanced nutrition.