Lupus can damage any part of the body

LES is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own cells and tissues, causing inflammation and tissue damage.

Lupus can damage any part of the body, but most often harms the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system.

The most common initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, pain in the joints, pain in muscles and fatigue, which are similar to many other diseases.

In the context of dermatological manifestations include: rash, discoid lupus (thick red spots on the skin scaly), alopecia, ulcers in the mouth, nose and vagina, as well as sores on the skin. Muscle-skeletal system presented pain in small joints and wrists, as well as other joints and muscles. Anemia and iron deficiency can occur within hematologic manifestations. In addition, values ​​appear low platelet and white blood cells, which may be a consequence of treatment with drugs. Inflammation can occur in different parts of the heart, as pericarditis, endocarditis and myocarditis.

Within the pulmonary manifestations are, inflammation of the lungs and pleura, pleural fluid spill, pneumonia from lupus, chronic interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hemorrhage. As a result of kidney damage, can occur hematuri or proteinuria, then caused by lupus nephritis, which can lead to kidney deficiency. Patients may have damage to the CNS as a consequence of the 10% of them presented paralysis or psychosis, whereas some other disorders of cerebrospinal fluid flow.

The course of the disease is unpredictable, and followed by periods of outbreaks and improved. Lupus can occur at any age, but is more common in females. Treatment of lupus become symptomatically, mainly with corticosteroids and imunosupresantë, since there are no adequate medication. The survival of people with lupus is: up to five years 95%, up to 10 years 90%, while 70% of patients survive up to 20 years.