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What is Lupus?

What is Lupus?

Edited by: TOP DOCTORS® at 04/04/2023

Lupus unfortunately has no cure. Patients are born with genes that develop this disease, these can not be removed. With adequate control, Lupus can be taken to a state of remission, that is, that the disease is dormant but not cured.

Dr. Jorge Manuel Rueda Gutiérrez

Lupus is an autoimmune, systemic and inflammatory disease, this means that it is a condition that can affect many organs of the body. Autoimmune means that the immune system or defense, has an alteration and does not recognize the own tissues and attacks them with substances that it produces antibodies called antibodies and lymphocytes, which affect different organs of the body.

Symptoms of Lupus

Lupus has no specific symptoms because it is a multisystem disease and can attack any organ. It affects the skin and its annexes producing loss of hair and wounds ranging from reddish lesions to ulcers. In the joints it produces pain and inflammation. The lungs can also be compromised and cause suffocation, cough and pain when breathing. In the same way the kidneys, although initially does not manifest clear problems, but already in advanced stages it is possible that the patient suffers of renal insufficiency or increase in the renal excretion of proteins what causes that the person swells of the legs and even of the abdomen. There is a possibility that it affects the central nervous system and causes very severe headaches and convulsions, memory loss and other cognitive disorders.

The disease can be controlled

Lupus unfortunately has no cure. Patients are born with genes that develop this disease, these can not be removed. With adequate control, the Lupus can be taken to a state of remission, ie the disease is dormant but not cured. Today the quality of life of a patient who receives adequate and timely treatment is very good. It is very important that people suffering from Lupus should be cared for by a specialist who has experience with the disease, specifically with a Rheumatologist or Nephrologist.

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