Women from the ages of 15 to 44 are the most likely to have the disease.It affects the brain, skin, kidneys, and joints.Its symptoms can be hard to diagnose because they are often signs of other illnesses.Understanding the symptoms and diagnosis procedures for the disease can help you catch and treat it.
Step 1: There is a butterfly rash on your face.
A rash over the face that looks like a butterfly or wolf bite is a characteristic of 30 percent of lupus patients.The rash spans across the cheeks and nose and sometimes covers a portion of skin near the eyes.Check for discoid rash around your face, neck, and head.These red, raised patches can be so severe that they leave scars even after they are gone.It's a good idea to pay special attention to the rash caused by sunlight.If you are sensitive to ultraviolet light, it can cause sores on sun-exposed parts of the body and cause a butterfly rash on your face.The rash is more severe than a sunburn would be.
Step 2: Look for mouth or nose sores.
If you get sores on the roof of your mouth, along the side of it, on your gums, or inside your nose, this could be a warning sign.If the sores are not actually "sore," this is often the case.Most mouth and nose sores associated with the disease are pain-free.If the sores get worse in the sun, this is a strong sign of the disease.This is called photosensitivity.
Step 3: Look for signs of inflammation.
Inflammation of the joints, lungs, and lining around the heart is common in patients with the disease.Inflammation of blood vessels is on top of that.Inflammation and swelling could be seen around the feet, legs, hands, and eyes.If you have joints that are swollen and red, they may be warm and tender.It is possible to detect inflammation of the heart and lungs at home.If you feel a sharp chest pain when you cough or take a deep breath, this could be a symptom.If you feel short of breath during these periods, the same applies.The coughing up of blood and abnormal heart rhythms are some of the signs of inflammation in your lungs.Symptoms of inflammation can be seen through abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Step 4: Pay attention to your urine.
It is hard to detect urine abnormality at home, but there are a few symptoms you can detect.Your feet might swell if you can't filter your urine due to the disease.If your kidneys are failing, you may feel weak or nauseated.
Step 5: Take a moment to note any problems with your brain and nervous system.
The nervous system can be affected by the disease.Seizures and changes in personality are concrete symptoms that are taken very seriously.It can be hard to attribute headaches to the disease.There are many possible causes for headaches.
Step 6: Do you feel fatigued more than usual?
Extreme fatigue is a common symptom of the disease.It can be caused by a number of different factors.If fatigue is accompanied by a high temperature, you may be even more certain that it is lupus.
Step 7: There are other strange things in your body.
When exposed to cold, your fingers or toes may change color.The phenomenon is called Raynaud's phenomenon.You may also notice that your eyes are dry.If all of these symptoms occur at the same time, you may be dealing with a disease.
Step 8: Prepare for your appointment.
A rheumatologist may be able to refer you to a general physician who can order more confirmatory tests and help with the management of symptoms of the disease.The start of a professional medical diagnosis is usually at a standard physician's office.Before your appointment, write down your symptoms and when they started.Make a note of any medications and supplements you take.If a parent or sibling has ever had an autoimmune disorder, you should bring that information with you as well.It's important to have a patient and family history.
Step 9: Prepare for the ANA test.
The ANA are present in most people with an active form of the disease.Not everyone with a positive ANA test has lupus, so this is often used as an initial screening test.There are more tests that need to be done to confirm the presence of the disease.scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome, and other autoimmune diseases can be indicated by a positive ANA test.
Step 10: You should get a complete blood count.
The amount of red blood cells in your blood is measured with this blood test.Another possible sign of the disease is certain abnormality.This test can show anemia, which is a symptom of the disease.The test does not diagnose the disease on its own.Other conditions can cause the same abnormality.
Step 11: You should expect blood tests for inflammation.
Your doctor may perform several tests to confirm an inflammatory condition, but they won't prove you have lupus.One test measures your erythrocyte sedimentation rate.The test measures how long it takes red blood cells to settle in a test tube.A fast rate can mean something.A fast rate can be a symptom of other inflammatory conditions, so it is not an absolute test.TheCRP test is a non-specific test that can be used to test for inflammation.There are many other conditions that can cause thisProtein to show up, but it can indicate the presence of inflammation.
Step 12: You can find out about other blood tests.
Doctors perform a range of blood tests to narrow down the diagnosis since there is no single blood test for the disease.Doctors look for at least four of the main symptoms.A blood test is one of the tests your doctor could use.The test measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a test tube.A fast rate is indicative of the disease.A fast rate can be a symptom of other inflammatory conditions, so it is not an absolute test.An APL test has an antibodies to phospholipids.30 percent of patients with lupus have an APL test that looks for anti-phospholipids.An immune system test.About 30 to 40 percent of patients with the disease have the Sm protein in the cell nucleus.It rarely shows up in people without the disease, so a positive result almost always leads to a diagnosis.There is an anti-dsDNA test.Anti-dsDNA works by attacking double-stranded DNA.Roughly 50 percent of patients with the disease have it in their blood.It is very rare in people without the disease, so a positive result almost always leads to a diagnosis.The tests are called Anti- Ro and Anti La.The antibodies attack the genes in your blood.It is more common in patients with Sjgren's syndrome.
Step 13: You can get a urine test.
Damage to the kidneys can be a sign of lupus.The doctor might need a urine sample to do a urinalysis.The test looks at the presence of red blood cells in your urine.
Step 14: Ask about the tests.
If your doctor thinks you have a form of lupus that affects your lungs or heart, he or she might order an x-ray.A chest x-ray can be used to look at your lungs.Your heart will be looked at by an echocardiogram.Shadows in your lungs can be seen on a chest x-ray.An echocardiogram uses sound waves to measure the beating of the heart.
Step 15: Inquire about the procedure.
If your doctor suspects that your kidneys have been damaged by the disease, they may perform a transplant.The goal is to get a sample of the organ.The condition of your kidneys will be assessed based on how much damage has occurred and what kind of damage it is.It is possible for doctors to determine the best treatment for the disease.
Step 16: Understand what lupus is.
The immune system attacks healthy parts of your body when you have the disease.It mostly affects the organs, such as the brain, skin, and kidneys.The chronic nature of the disease means it will last for a long time.The immune system attacks healthy tissue and causes the body to become irritative.There is no cure for the disease.
Step 17: Understand the three main types of the disease.
People usually refer to the disease as SLE.Your skin, lungs, and heart are affected by this type of disease.There are other types of the disease.The other organs of your body are not threatened by cutaneous lupus erythematosus.It never develops into SLE.The skin and interior organs can be affected by the use of certain medications.Once those medications are out of the patient's system, it usually goes away.Mild symptoms are associated with this form of the disease.
Step 18: The causes should be identified.
It has been difficult for doctors to understand the disease.The combination of your genes and environment appears to be the cause of the disease.If you have a genetic predisposition for the disease, the environment can cause it.Drugs, infections, or contact with sunlight are some of the common lupus triggers.Drugs that make you more sensitive to sunlight, penicillin, or antibiotics might be the cause of the disease.Infections, the common cold, a virus, being exhausted, and emotional duress are some of the physical conditions that can cause lupus.The sun's ultraviolet rays can cause lupus.The same thing can be done by UV rays from fluorescent light bulbs.