Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

What is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)?

SLE or systemic lupus erythematosus is a type of autoimmune disorder. In this disease, the immune system attacks the healthy tissues mistakenly while damaging several organs, such as joints, kidneys, brain, and your skin too.

We are born with a healthy immune system so that foreign invaders can be stopped from harm. An autoimmune system disease occurs when there is a fault in the immune as your body cannot distinguish between healthy and unhealthy cells. The systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one such autoimmune system. The term lupus is a broader term that has been used to identify a number of immune system diseases. People mostly refer to SLE when they are talking about lupus.

Although SLE is a chronic disease, most people are able to lead a normal life with symptoms worsening (relapsing).

There are two main types of lupus:

  • Discoid lupus:- This form of lupus only affects the skin. Initially, people get rashes on a small area that spread with time.
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE):- This type of lupus affects several parts at the same time. The symptoms may go from mild to severe. Although early treatment can help prevent some of the signs, there is no cure found for SLE in allopathy.

Symptoms

The symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus may worsen over time. Depending upon an individual, the symptoms may constantly vary also. However, the most distinctive sign of lupus is a facial rash that looks like the wings of a butterfly going up to both cheeks.

These signs may include:

  • severe fatigue
  • joint pain or swelling due to inflammation
  • headaches
  • a rash on the cheeks and nose (also called butterfly rash)
  • hair loss
  • anemia
  • blood-clotting problems
  • weight loss
  • swelling of the lymph glands, in the neck, under the chin, armpits, or groin
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • Raynaud’s phenomenon in which the fingers turn white or blue and tingle during cold

Several other symptoms can be noticed depending upon the part of the body being affected, such as your skin, heart, kidneys, etc.

These nonspecific symptoms make diagnosis a little tricky. So, if you have these signs, it is important to see the doctor right away. The doctor will run a myriad of tests to go through the diagnosis process accurately.

Causes

Lupus occurs when the immune system damages the body’s own healthy tissue (an autoimmune disease). Likely, genetics and environmental factor may play an important role in the development of lupus.

It appears that people with a family history of lupus may develop the disease when they come into contact with something in the environment that can cause lupus. The cause of lupus in most cases, however, remains unknown.

Some causes of SLE may include:

  • Sunlight:- Exposure to the sun may also trigger in some people with a genetic flaw.
  • Infections:- Infections can also cause lupus or result in a relapse in some people.
  • Medications:- Lupus can be triggered by certain types of medications, including antibiotics. People who have lupus due to the side effect of medications, usually get better when they stop taking such medications. Mostly, people do not notice any signs after the medication has been stopped.

Risk factors

Likely some factors put you at significant risk of lupus. Such as:

  • Gender:- Lupus is quite common in women.
  • Age:- Lupus can affect people of any age. It can be diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45.

Lupus isn’t contagious, so you can’t get it from anyone else.

Complications

Inflammation due to lupus damages many parts of the body and cause complications, such as:

  • Kidneys. Lupus can cause serious kidney damage. SLE is a common immune system disorder that can cause end-stage renal disease.
  • Blood and blood vessels. Lupus may cause blood problems, such as low RBCs, risk of bleeding, etc. Inflammation of the RBCs is yet another cause of vasculitis.
  • Brain and central nervous system. Of chance, your brain is affected with lupus; you may get frequent vision problems, headaches, dizziness, stroke or seizures, behavior changes, and memory problems. You may feel hard to express your thoughts to others because your nervous system is damaged.
  • Heart. The inflammation of the heart muscle, arteries, or heart membrane, can damage the heart and cause various problems to your heart. Likely your heart may not function well due to inflammation as triggered by SLE.
  • Lungs. Systemic lupus erythematosus increases the chances of inflammation of the chest cavity lining (pleurisy), which can make it hard for you to breathe properly. Pneumonia is also a possible complication of SLE.
  • Cancer. Lupus increases the risk of cancer many times.
  • Pregnancy complications. Women with lupus are at an increased risk of miscarriage. Preeclampsia is also common in those women who have high blood pressure. So, if you are planning to get pregnant, avoid it until SLE has been controlled for at least under six months.
  • Bone tissue death (avascular necrosis). Your bones need blood but during SLE, the blood supply to the bone diminishes, causing leaks in the bone and your bone may collapse.

Diagnosis

Your doctor may ask you several questions related to signs of lupus, including:

  • sun sensitivity rashes
  • butterfly rash
  • mucous membrane ulcers in the mouth or nose
  • swelling or tenderness of the small joints of the hands, feet, knees, and wrists
  • hair loss
  • hair thinning
  • signs of cardiac or lung involvement

There is no single test that can help diagnose SLE, but apparently, screening tests can help your doctor diagnose SLE. These tests may include:

  • a blood tests, to check for antibodies and a complete blood count
  • a urinalysis
  • a chest X-ray

After you have been diagnosed with SLE, your doctor may recommend you to a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in treating joint problems and autoimmune systems.

Additional testing he may ask for:

  • Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) test
  • Anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibody test
  • Anti-Ro antibody test
  • Antiphospholipid antibody test
  • Kidney and liver function tests

Ayurvedic treatment for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

In Ayurveda, SLE is believed to be a chronic disease that primarily affects the joints and muscles. When the healthy tissues within the body are damaged, the immunity lowers down and the body is not able to fight against several infections. This perhaps results in an autoimmune disorder.

As per Ayurveda, when you have an autoimmune disorder, all the dhatus become intoxicated. There are various herbs in nature that can help remove such toxins from the cells and tissues while soothing the inflammation at the same time.

The primary aim is to boost natural immunity so that your body can heal naturally without any medical intervention. Ayurvedic treatment is inclusive of personalized treatments which contain customized diet as well.