What are the symptoms of lupus?
Since no two cases of lupus are exactly alike, there is a wide range of symptoms that are known to affect many parts of the body. Sometimes symptoms develop slowly or appear suddenly; they can be mild, severe, temporary, or permanent. Most people with lupus experience symptoms in only a few organs, but more serious cases can lead to problems with kidneys, the heart, the lungs, blood, or the nervous system.
Lupus episodes, or flares, are usually noted by a worsening of some of the following symptoms:
Achy joints (arthralgia), arthritis, and swollen joints, especially in wrists, small joints of the hands, elbows, knees, and ankles
Swelling of the hands and feet due to kidney problems
Fever of more than 100 degrees F (38 degrees C)
Prolonged or extreme fatigue
Skin lesions or rashes, especially on the arms, hands, face, neck, or back
Butterfly-shaped rash (malar rash) across the cheeks and nose
Anemia (oxygen carrying deficiency of red blood cells)
Pain in the chest on deep breathing or shortness of breath
Sun or light sensitivity (photosensitivity)
Hair loss or alopecia
Abnormal blood clotting problems
Raynaud's phenomenon: fingers turn white and/or blue or red in the cold
Seizures
Mouth or nose ulcers
Weight loss or gain
Dry eyes
Easy bruising
Anxiety, depression, headaches, and memory loss
Lupus can also lead to complications in several areas of the body. These include:
Kidneys - serious kidney damage is a primary cause of death for lupus sufferers.
Central nervous system - lupus can cause headaches, dizziness, memory problems, seizures, and behavioral changes.
Blood and vessels - lupus causes an increased risk of anemia, bleeding, blood clotting, and vessel inflammation
Lungs - noninfectious pneumonia and difficulty breathing due to inflammation of the chest cavity are more likely with lupus
Heart - heart muscle and artery inflammation are more likely with the disease, and lupus increases the chances of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.
Infection - lupus treatments tend to depress the immune system making your body more vulnerable to infection.
Cancer - lupus increases the risk of cancer, especially of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, lung cancer, and liver cancer
Bone tissue death - a lower blood supply to bone tissue leads to tiny breaks and eventual death of bone. This is most common in the hip bone.
Pregnancy - lupus increases the risk of miscarriage, hypertension during pregnancy, and preterm birth.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
How is lupus diagnosed?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/lupus/
How is lupus diagnosed?
As signs and symptoms vary considerably from person to person, there is no single diagnostic test that can confirm lupus. In addition, signs and symptoms tend to change over time and are similar to those of other disorders and diseases. These fluctuations in disease activity make lupus extremely challenging to diagnose.
Currently, doctors use guidelines established by The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to diagnose lupus (SLE). The guidelines focus on eleven abnormalities that, when combined, suggest that the patient has lupus. To be classified as having SLE, a patient must meet 4 of the following 11 symptoms at any time since the onset of the disease:
Serositis - inflammation of the membrane around the lungs (pleuritis) or the heart (pericarditis)
Mucosal ulcers - small sores found in the lining of the mouth and nose
Arthritis - nonerosive arthritis (tenderness, swelling, pain) of two or more peripheral joints
Photosensitivity - skin rash or other symptoms caused by exposure to ultraviolet light
Blood disorder - hemolytic anemia (low red blood cell count), leucopenia and lymphopenia (low white blood cell count), or thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)
Renal (kidney) disorder - high protein count in urine
Antinuclear antibody test positive
Immunologic disorder - positives on anti-Smith, anti-ds DNA, antiphospholipid antibody tests.
Neurologic disorder - seizures or psychosis
Malar rash - rash on cheeks
Discoid rash - red, scaly patches on skin that cause scarring
In addition to the above tests, doctors will often conduct a variety of blood tests such as:
Complete blood count (CBC) to detect anemia, low platelet count, and low white blood cell count
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) to determine the rate at which red blood cells settle to the bottom of a tube in an hour. Rates faster than normal may indicate lupus or another systemic disease, inflammatory condition, or infection.
Kidney and liver assessment to look for certain enzymes and albumin
Urinalysis to measure protein levels or red blood cells in the urine
Syphilis test to determine if anti-phospholipid antibodies are in the blood.
How is lupus diagnosed?
As signs and symptoms vary considerably from person to person, there is no single diagnostic test that can confirm lupus. In addition, signs and symptoms tend to change over time and are similar to those of other disorders and diseases. These fluctuations in disease activity make lupus extremely challenging to diagnose.
Currently, doctors use guidelines established by The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to diagnose lupus (SLE). The guidelines focus on eleven abnormalities that, when combined, suggest that the patient has lupus. To be classified as having SLE, a patient must meet 4 of the following 11 symptoms at any time since the onset of the disease:
Serositis - inflammation of the membrane around the lungs (pleuritis) or the heart (pericarditis)
Mucosal ulcers - small sores found in the lining of the mouth and nose
Arthritis - nonerosive arthritis (tenderness, swelling, pain) of two or more peripheral joints
Photosensitivity - skin rash or other symptoms caused by exposure to ultraviolet light
Blood disorder - hemolytic anemia (low red blood cell count), leucopenia and lymphopenia (low white blood cell count), or thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)
Renal (kidney) disorder - high protein count in urine
Antinuclear antibody test positive
Immunologic disorder - positives on anti-Smith, anti-ds DNA, antiphospholipid antibody tests.
Neurologic disorder - seizures or psychosis
Malar rash - rash on cheeks
Discoid rash - red, scaly patches on skin that cause scarring
In addition to the above tests, doctors will often conduct a variety of blood tests such as:
Complete blood count (CBC) to detect anemia, low platelet count, and low white blood cell count
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) to determine the rate at which red blood cells settle to the bottom of a tube in an hour. Rates faster than normal may indicate lupus or another systemic disease, inflammatory condition, or infection.
Kidney and liver assessment to look for certain enzymes and albumin
Urinalysis to measure protein levels or red blood cells in the urine
Syphilis test to determine if anti-phospholipid antibodies are in the blood.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Be Careful of Your Thoughts
Be Careful of Your Thoughts
"Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.
Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions.
Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.
Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny."
Author unknown
"Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.
Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions.
Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.
Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny."
Author unknown
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
My Pickle Poem to Pappaw
My Pickle Poem to Pappaw
It ain't the pickles.
It's just the juice.
I hold on.
I can't turn loose.
It don't mean nuthin'
'Cept to me and you.
But now you're gone
And I'm holdin' on.
I've got my pickle.
I've got your juice,
But all alone---
What's the use?
I cry like rain
As I pour it down the drain.
~~~
11-20-01
THE MAINTRAIN
I wrote this poem the year Pappaw died.
He died in August and this was the first time
I finished a pickle jar without Pappaw
here to drink the juice. Man, it's been almost NINE years!
It ain't the pickles.
It's just the juice.
I hold on.
I can't turn loose.
It don't mean nuthin'
'Cept to me and you.
But now you're gone
And I'm holdin' on.
I've got my pickle.
I've got your juice,
But all alone---
What's the use?
I cry like rain
As I pour it down the drain.
~~~
11-20-01
THE MAINTRAIN
I wrote this poem the year Pappaw died.
He died in August and this was the first time
I finished a pickle jar without Pappaw
here to drink the juice. Man, it's been almost NINE years!
Homeless People and Homeless Animals
What impression does this poem leave you with?
When I see
Homeless people
And homeless Animals
Walkin' the street
Lookin' in the same sack
For Something to eat~~
I know
Me and my dog
Got it made,
Sittin' in the shade
Sippin' pink lemonade
Through a straw
And that ain't all!
We're ridin' on four wheels
~~The notes been paid!
Livin' inside
So the cops can't raid~~
Our "camp"
And take us away.
Yeah! Me and my girl, Tate
Livin' the high life
'Cause we got it made!
But she used to live in a shelter
Before she met me.
And before that
She was just a birddog
Loose on the street.
Tonight, I saw a mama dog
Walkin' in the parking lot.
Trying to pick something up
To take back to her pups!
Made me realize
How much luck
It took to put me
In the path of
The Great Tate.
She loves the music
That I make.
Earlier, I saw the Police Chief.
He likes to tease
Me 'Bout the homeless guys
And how one of them
Says I caught his eye.
Another one swears he's
Gonna help me "Get a record deal".
I gave him "myspace"
Just keepin' it REAL.
When I see
Homeless people
And homeless Animals
Walkin' the street
Lookin' in the same sack
For Something to eat~~
I know
Me and my dog
Got it made,
Sittin' in the shade
Sippin' pink lemonade
Through a straw
And that ain't all!
We're ridin' on four wheels
~~The notes been paid!
Livin' inside
So the cops can't raid~~
Our "camp"
And take us away.
Yeah! Me and my girl, Tate
Livin' the high life
'Cause we got it made!
But she used to live in a shelter
Before she met me.
And before that
She was just a birddog
Loose on the street.
Tonight, I saw a mama dog
Walkin' in the parking lot.
Trying to pick something up
To take back to her pups!
Made me realize
How much luck
It took to put me
In the path of
The Great Tate.
She loves the music
That I make.
Earlier, I saw the Police Chief.
He likes to tease
Me 'Bout the homeless guys
And how one of them
Says I caught his eye.
Another one swears he's
Gonna help me "Get a record deal".
I gave him "myspace"
Just keepin' it REAL.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
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