Effects of lupus on the body of an afflicted person are serious and can really cause great damage on major body organs such as the heart, lungs, blood vessels, brain, the kidneys, joints and a lot more body parts of the body. Damage on the body parts is a result of inflammation set off by lupus.
Lupus is also known to trigger kidney disease, neurological dysfunction and rheumatoid arthritis. Lupus causes the immune system of the body to attack its own tissues. Systemic lupus erythematosus usually affects women and is common in blacks, Hispanics and Asians.
Aching Joints
Serious effects of lupus to women and men of any age include permanent damage to one and sometimes multiple organs of our system. Symptoms which are common to the disease are aching joints, unexplained fever, skin rashes, fatigue, arthritis and anemia. Arthritis is considered a common symptom for lupus patients.
Skin Rashes
The effects of lupus are greatly manifested on the skin of the patient. Lupus rashes are very common in a great percentage of persons with lupus. Skin symptoms such as redness on the cheeks or malar blush are more prevalent in whites than in African Americans.
Hair Loss
Hair loss can also happen with flares of systemic lupus erythematosus even without the skin rashes in the scalp. Immunosuppressive medications can also cause hair loss.
Other Side Effects
Medical treatment suggested by medical practitioners for persons with lupus includes plaquenil which is a 200 mg. tablet that gives numerous side effects such as nausea, hair bleaching, blurred vision, irreversible retinopathy, loss of hair and pruritus.
These side effects can give tremendous discomfort to the patient aside from the discomfort given by lupus itself. Immune suppressing drugs can also give great discomfort to the patient since it increases the risk of the lupus patient to have blood cancer.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which are a main treatment for the lupus patients may adversely affect renal function which is of great concern since most lupus patients acquire the associated nephritis.
Complications arising from lupus can really be fatal. The disease goes into remission very often and the period of remission may last for several years. It is very important that you consult a medical expert or your family doctor at once if the first symptoms of lupus occur.
Self-treatment should not be an option since this may cause more serious implications. Your doctor may also suggest natural treatments and medicines to better fight this dreaded disease.