8 Symptoms of Lupus You Need to Know

8 Symptoms of Lupus You Need to Know

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks its tissues. It is an incurable disease, but some medications can help improve the condition of life.

Recognizing the disease at the early stages is crucial. If this is done, treatment can be started in advance, and the disease can be slowed. Lupus is seen most often in women in the age group of 15 to 45. With the right treatment, patients can even live a normal life.

Lupus affects each person differently. It has mild effects on a few and is more severe on others. Symptoms of lupus start at early adulthood or even at 30 for a few.

There are several symptoms that can help identify the disease. Some of the symptoms of lupus may just be due to other conditions or diseases. If you find yourself with three or more of these symptoms, it is best to visit a specialist immediately.

If you want to know what are the symptoms of lupus, here are seven you should look out for:

Symptom #1: Fatigue
This is a relatively common symptom in people who have lupus. If you experience it often, then you need to get yourself checked. If this is mild and rare, it can be treated. Otherwise, visit a doctor.

Symptom #2: Hair loss
This is one of the earliest symptoms of lupus. It happens as a result of inflammation of the scalp and the skin. There are few cases where patients even loose chunks of hair at random. Even if it seems like your hair is slowly thinning out, visit a doctor.
The hair loss can happen in the eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, and any other body hair too. The condition makes the hair brittle and looks rugged. In fact, there is even a term called “lupus hair.” It is possible to treat the scalp and regain hair growth. However, if the lesions are too severe, the damage might be permanent.

Symptom #3: Sudden fever
Random bouts of fever are one of the early symptoms of lupus. The temperature is between 98.5 to 101-degree Fahrenheit. It might seem unimportant, but if it reoccurs, you need to visit a doctor. You will have a fever on and off that might make it seem similar to viral fever. This could be a symptom of infection or inflammation. It is best to see a doctor to confirm and treat it.

Symptom #4: Inflammation of the kidney
Nephritis is the term used to refer to inflammation of the kidney. The kidneys have a harder time filtering and expelling waste from the blood. You can see the onset of this condition within five years of the early symptoms of lupus. There might be a pain on the side. It might cause blood in urine or darker urine. Patients might be having to use the bathroom several times at night. Patients tend to ignore these initial symptoms. It is best to visit a doctor if you find and discoloration.

Symptom #5: Pulmonary inflammation
This is another symptom of lupus. The lungs become swollen, and the inflammation can even extend to the blood vessels in the lungs. There might even be some swelling observed in the lungs. There will be a pain in breathing due to this. This is called as pleuritic chest pain. As the condition progresses, lung shrinks in size. The chest pain and loss of breath are the main signs of this. There need to be scans taken to observe and monitor any such changes.

Symptom #6: Skin Rashes
This is a visible and definite sign of lupus. It forms a butterfly-shaped rash over the nose and the cheeks. It is common in over 50% of the patients diagnosed with lupus. The rash might appear after exposure to the sun. It is a sign of the onset of lupus. There are rashes and lesions in other parts of the body too. These are not itchy at times. Patients with lupus have sensitive skin and are uncomfortable under the sun and artificial lighting. There is even discoloration at times.

Symptom #7: Swollen joints
There is inflammation in the joints as well. There will be stiffness, pain, and swelling in the morning. It might be minimal in the beginning, but as the disease progresses, it becomes more severe. Joint pains are generally common. The swelling might even be due to conditions like arthritis. However, it should not be ignored.

There are other symptoms of lupus – dryness in the mouth, eyes, and skin. Oral ulcers, pain in the muscle, dizziness, and seizures are also observed as symptoms of lupus. Not everyone gets the same set of symptoms. However, it is best to know what are the symptoms of lupus. Once you know the clear signs of lupus, you can give it the correct treatment.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.
Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.
How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.
All You Need to Know about Cat Food

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.