Immune system diseases, also known as autoimmune diseases, occur when the body’s immune system fails to recognize its own cells and attacks them instead. One such disease is Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that can affect virtually any organ or tissue in the human body.
The symptoms of Lupus vary based on which organs or tissues are affected by the attack of the patient’s own immune system. Common symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, fever and a butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks. Patients may also experience chest pain due to inflammation of their lungs (pleurisy) or heart (pericarditis), skin lesions from sun exposure (photosensitivity), headaches, depression and hair loss. In some cases, more serious complications can develop such as seizures or kidney failure due to inflammation of these organs.
Diagnosis of Lupus typically involves ruling out other potential causes for a patient’s symptoms before arriving at a diagnosis of Lupus itself. The tests used may include imaging studies such as CT scans or MRIs to look for possible signs of inflammation in affected organs; blood tests including complete blood count (CBC), antinuclear antibodies test (ANA) and complement levels; urine tests; biopsies; and physical examinations checking for any signs of increased swelling or tenderness in joints.
Discuss a disease of the immune system. What are the symptoms of the disease you selected? How is it diagnosed and what are the treatment options?
The main treatment option for lupus is immunosuppressive therapy – medications that reduce activity within the immune system in order to slow down its ability to attack healthy cells in patients with lupus – although many other treatments exist depending on which particular symptoms require treatment at a given time. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are often prescribed for managing joint pains associated with lupus; corticosteroids like prednisone help reduce inflammation throughout the body; hydroxychloroquine is used for treating certain skin rashes caused by lupus flare ups; biological agents like Rituximab are sometimes added when standard therapies fail to be effective enough on their own; while antimalarials like Plaquenil can help manage systemic forms lupus along with NSAIDs and/or corticosteroids.. For more severe cases where organ damage has occurred due to extensive inflammation, surgery may be necessary to repair damaged tissues..
Overall, understanding how Lupus works is important not just so we can treat it properly but so we can prevent it from getting worse if caught quickly enough—which requires both early recognition of its warning signs along with regular checkups with physicians who understand this disease well—allowing us live happier lives free from debilitating symptoms brought about by this condition