What autoimmune disease affects the skin?

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asked Aug 7, 2022 in Body/Skin by Rogowski (580 points)
What autoimmune disease affects the skin?

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answered Aug 17, 2022 by Markbob (8,170 points)
The autoimmune disease that affects the skin is lupus.

There's also some other autoimmune diseases that affect the skin which include vitiligo, scleroderma, psoriasis and vasculitis.

The type of lupus that affects the skin is cutaneous lupus which causes a red, scaly rash on the skin.

The four types of Lupus are Lupus dermatitis, SLE, drug-induced lupus, and neonatal lupus.

When you have a Lupus flare up you'll usually have symptoms such as.

Ongoing fever not due to an infection.
Painful, swollen joints.
An increase in fatigue.
Rashes.
Sores or ulcers in the mouth or nose.
General swelling in the legs.

Lupus can make you sleep a lot more than normal as most people who have Lupus also experience fatigue and feeling tired throughout the day.

So you may sleep more than normal or sleep a lot with Lupus.

The Top 10 signs of Lupus include.

Butterfly-shaped rash.
Raised red patches on your skin.
You're sensitive to light.
Ulcers in your mouth or nose.
Arthritis in two or more joints, plus swelling or tenderness.
Inflammation in the lining of your heart or lungs.
Seizures or other nerve problems.
Too much protein in your urine.
Low blood cell counts.
Certain antibodies in your blood.

And the following.

Results from a blood test called an ANA test that suggest you may have too many "antinuclear" antibodies.

Lupus can sometimes affect your teeth but not directly.

The condition Lupus can indirectly lead to Tooth Decay.

Tooth decay was present in 100% of people with active lupus disease and 85% of people with inactive lupus possibly due to reduced salivary flow or dry mouth, a common development of lupus.

People with lupus exhibit more tooth loss than healthy population.

Lupus can affect your ears and cause tinnitus by damaging the tissue in your inner ears.

Lupus can affect your feet by causing swelling and pain in your feet.

People with lupus can experience swelling and pain in their feet and ankles as a side effect of the disease.

“Lupus foot” in particular is a deformity of toes and joints which can lead to pain when walking.

Excess fluid from kidney failure can lead to more swelling in the lower extremities.

Lupus may qualify you for disability payments if you can prove you're unable to work a Job due to the Lupus.

However some people still continue to work with Lupus as long as it's being treated but then again some people may not be able to work a Job due to the Lupus and get disability payments.

Lupus does show up in blood work as well as a urine test.

When you get tested for Lupus you will have a urine test, blood test and even a physical exam to confirm the Lupus.

Lupus patients should avoid foods with sources of saturated fats include fried foods, commercial baked goods, creamed soups and sauces, red meat, animal fat, processed meat products, and high-fat dairy foods.

That includes whole milk, half and half, cheeses, butter, and ice cream.

One food to avoid with Lupus is alfalfa sprouts.

The symptoms of Lupus in a woman are the same as in a man which include.

Extreme fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
Pain or swelling in the joints.
Swelling in the hands, feet, or around the eyes.
Headaches.
Low fevers.
Sensitivity to sunlight or fluorescent light.
Chest pain when breathing deeply.

Some people also experience other symptoms with Lupus which include.

Butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose.
Hair loss.
Sores in the mouth or nose.
Fingers and toes turning white or blue and feeling numb when exposed to cold or stress (Raynaud's disease)
Weight loss.
Muscle pain.
Skin lesions.

When you have Lupus and leave the Lupus untreated the untreated Lupus can get worse and then lead to life threatening health issues such as heart attacks or strokes.

To confirm and diagnose Lupus more than one test will need to be done.

To test and confirm for Lupus usually a blood test, urine test and physical exam are needed to confirm Lupus.

The difference between Fibromyalgia and Lupus is that Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that involves widespread inflammation and impacts many organs throughout the body while Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes widespread chronic pain and tenderness.

Unlike lupus, fibromyalgia is not an inflammatory or autoimmune disease.

A doctor will know if you have Lupus when they look for and notice rashes and other signs that something is wrong.

Blood and urine tests are also usually needed to know for sure if you have Lupus..

The antinuclear antibody (ANA) test can show if your immune system is more likely to make the autoantibodies of lupus.

Most people with lupus test positive for ANA.

Things that trigger Lupus flare ups include missed dosages of medications, stress, infection, injury, overworking your joints and muscles and being out in the sun too long.

Lupus pain is similar to arthritis pain and your muscles will ache sometimes and your joints may swell.

Lupus can also cause inflammation in the joints, which doctors call “inflammatory arthritis.”

Having Lupus can make your joints hurt and feel stiff, tender, warm, and swollen.

Lupus arthritis most often affects joints that are farther from the middle of your body, like your fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and toes.

The stages of Lupus are.

Class I: Minimal mesangial lupus nephritis.
Class II: Mesangial proliferative lupus nephritis.
Class III: Focal lupus nephritis (active and chronic, proliferative and sclerosing)
Class IV: Diffuse lupus nephritis (active and chronic, proliferative and sclerosing, segmental and global)

Lupus pain usually occurs in the upper arms, neck, thighs and shoulders and you may also notice swelling in those areas as well with Lupus.

The top 5 signs of Lupus include.

Fatigue.
Fever.
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling.
Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body.
Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure.

Other signs of Lupus include.

loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss.
Shortness of breath.
Joint inflammation, stiffness, and pain.
Swollen glands.
Muscle pain.
Chest pain when you take a deep breath.
Hair loss.
Sun sensitivity.

Lupus does sometimes cause weight gain in some people.

Although some people who have Lupus may actually have weight loss from Lupus.

A person can have Lupus without knowing it.

Lupus is a disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs (autoimmune disease).

Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.

One common early symptom that can be indicative of lupus is a photosensitive rash, meaning a rash that develops in response to sun exposure, particularly on the face and upper arms.

Other early symptoms of Lupus are unexplained fever and pain, swelling, and stiffness of multiple joints.

It's very possible to have Lupus for many years and not even be aware of it.

The symptoms of the disease Lupus manifest uniquely for each patient who has Lupus so some people may have the Lupus disease for years and not even know about it.

In most cases it takes years to be correctly diagnosed with the disease Lupus.

Also just like with many other illnesses and diseases Lupus does tend to get worse as you age but not always.

Still the treatment for lupus is the same no matter how old you get and how worse the lupus gets as you age.

If left untreated Lupus can cause death due to lupus causing heart attacks and strokes as well as other cardiovascular disease.

Lupus can also cause organ damage and failure and other serious conditions that can occur which includes kidney disease, pancreatitis, pleurisy, vasculitis, pericarditis, and cancer.

If treated for lupus you can usually live a long natural life but never leave the lupus untreated.

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