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If you have landed on this page, you have probably developed a Malar Rash; and, you are thinking.... could it be related to Lupus. Or, you have been diagnosed with Lupus. The joint pain, the aching and even worse for some people.... the un-lovely butterfly rash. SLE or Systemic Lupus Erythematosis is an inflammatory, auto-immune disease with a variety of symptoms. There are other types of lupus; but, SLE is sometimes identified by the appearance of the "butterfly" rash or malar rash.
The rash has adopted the nickname butterfly rash because it often appears over the upper cheeks and crosses over the nose forming the shape of a butterfly. It is usually a reddish or purplish, nubby rash. The rash can vary in its morphology and color. It may come and go. It may appear only once and then never return even though the patient continues to have other symptoms of Lupus. SLE can affect any organ system, but mainly involves the skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, and nervous system. Some patients develop SLE and find that they will suffer from pain for long seasons; and, then they may go into a pseudo-remission. It is an insidious disease as well that literally attacks skin, joints, blood cells, kidneys and the nervous system.
Lupus goes misdiagnosed in many patients. They are tested for everything from MS to arthritis. SLE looks like other diseases and is sometimes the last option considered. It is diagnosed by assessing a myriad of clinical findings and lab tests. SLE patients require constant monitoring to manage prescription medications along with the progression of the illness. New organ involvement can be devastating if not detected early. Monitoring therapies is equally important to ensure that the patient is responding well to the treatment.
This is what I hear in my practice... "I hurt everywhere!" They may state that it is primarily joint pain. They may state that their arms are exquisitely painful and aching. They may say that either the right or the left side hurts more. And they always mention how tired they feel "all the time!" They wake up tired. Because fibromyalgia and MS look a lot like SLE--in terms of symptoms--the diagnosis may not be reached immediately. However, if a rash suddenly appears on the face, the physician will usually immediately want to rule out Lupus. Not all Lupus patients develop a rash. And, in some cases the rash can spread to other places on the body.
Autoimmune diseases, like Lupus, are still baffling scientists. Autoimmunity means there are problems with the immune system's ability to work properly. The body may have difficulty differentiating between harmful and healthy substances. Additionally, the body sometimes doesn't recognize self and non-self. I use an analogy of the stomach. When we eat chicken, the body knows to digest the chicken and not digest the stomach lining. When the immune system attacks healthy cells it may go into "overdrive". The result is an inflammatory response. Inflammation equals pain. To get rid of the malar rash, you have to get rid of the Lupus.
The rash has adopted the nickname butterfly rash because it often appears over the upper cheeks and crosses over the nose forming the shape of a butterfly. It is usually a reddish or purplish, nubby rash. The rash can vary in its morphology and color. It may come and go. It may appear only once and then never return even though the patient continues to have other symptoms of Lupus. SLE can affect any organ system, but mainly involves the skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, and nervous system. Some patients develop SLE and find that they will suffer from pain for long seasons; and, then they may go into a pseudo-remission. It is an insidious disease as well that literally attacks skin, joints, blood cells, kidneys and the nervous system.
Lupus goes misdiagnosed in many patients. They are tested for everything from MS to arthritis. SLE looks like other diseases and is sometimes the last option considered. It is diagnosed by assessing a myriad of clinical findings and lab tests. SLE patients require constant monitoring to manage prescription medications along with the progression of the illness. New organ involvement can be devastating if not detected early. Monitoring therapies is equally important to ensure that the patient is responding well to the treatment.
This is what I hear in my practice... "I hurt everywhere!" They may state that it is primarily joint pain. They may state that their arms are exquisitely painful and aching. They may say that either the right or the left side hurts more. And they always mention how tired they feel "all the time!" They wake up tired. Because fibromyalgia and MS look a lot like SLE--in terms of symptoms--the diagnosis may not be reached immediately. However, if a rash suddenly appears on the face, the physician will usually immediately want to rule out Lupus. Not all Lupus patients develop a rash. And, in some cases the rash can spread to other places on the body.
Autoimmune diseases, like Lupus, are still baffling scientists. Autoimmunity means there are problems with the immune system's ability to work properly. The body may have difficulty differentiating between harmful and healthy substances. Additionally, the body sometimes doesn't recognize self and non-self. I use an analogy of the stomach. When we eat chicken, the body knows to digest the chicken and not digest the stomach lining. When the immune system attacks healthy cells it may go into "overdrive". The result is an inflammatory response. Inflammation equals pain. To get rid of the malar rash, you have to get rid of the Lupus.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about malar rash and Lupus, go to Malar Rash #1, then visit the site of Dr. Christine Strong, NMD, and learn more about the cure at Systemic Lupus #2
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