Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is the result of the body's protective immune system producing antibodies to attack its own healthy cells and tissues. This is because the system is unable to differentiate between friend or invader and it can affect almost every part of the body including organs. Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, vasculitis and juvenile-onset diabetes are other examples of autoimmune diseases.
Though SLE can affect men and women of any race or age, women of African, Asian or Native American descent and are between the ages of 14 to 45 years old are more prone to it.
Estrogen metabolism in women could be related to lupus.
A characteristic skin rash that appears as red and rounded patches.
The skin rashes would emerge when the skin has been exposed to the sun or after a mild injury and they can develop on the nose, cheeks, ears, scalp, arms, chest and shins. Ulcers in the mouth are also common. If DLE is not treated and controlled, it can lead to permanent scarring, skin thinning and loss of hair (because hair follicles are affected).
This skin rash can persist or just come and go for years.
Achy joints may also accompany DLE.
DLE affects only the skin and not internal body organs. It is neither contagious nor malignant.
Commonly called lupus. Systemic means many parts of the body are affected.
The body produces antibodies called anticuclear antibodies (ANA) that attack the body's own tissues. A blood test can detect the presence of these antibodies.
SLE is a disease that is very difficult to diagnose and it can be mistaken for other diseases. In addition the kind of symptoms and their severity varies with each person.
Signs and symptoms of SLE affecting the skin include: a characteristic rash that spreads across the nose and cheeks (forming a shape of a butterfly), hair loss, hives, mouth ulcers, red and raised bumps, light sensitivity and swelling around the nails.
Signs and symptoms of SLE affecting the joints, muscles and bones include: joint pain and with/without swelling (e.g. hands, wrists and knees), arthritis, hand deformities, loss of the blood supply to bone (especially hips and shoulders), muscle pains and weakness, serious infection within a joint and inflammation of the connective tissue (collagen) in joints
Signs and symptoms of SLE affecting the heart include : fluid accumulation, heart attack, inflammation and infection in the heart and it's lining.
Signs and symptoms of SLE affecting the kidney include : kidney failure, kidney problems, blood in urine and white blood cells in urine.
Signs and symptoms of SLE affecting the eye include : conjunctivitis, retina damage and blindness.
Signs and symptoms of SLE affecting the brain include : memory loss, seizure, bleeding, stroke, migraine and nerve problems in the head and face.
Signs and symptoms of SLE affecting the lung include : fluid accumulation, cough (sometimes with blood), inflammation in the lung and it's lining (pleuritis), chest pain and shortness of breath.
Signs and symptoms of SLE affecting the digestive system include : loss of appetite, diarrhea, liver enlargement, nausea, vomiting and rectal bleeding.
Signs and symptoms of SLE affecting the blood include : anemia or leukopenia (a decrease in white blood cells) and thrombocytopenia (a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood). Some people with lupus may have an increased risk for blood clots.
Other signs and symptoms of SLE include : fever (over 100ºF), prolonged fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea.
SLE is not contagious and exactly what causes lupus is not known though fingers are pointing at environmental causes, genes and hormones. Lupus can also run in the family.
The medications (e.g. NSAIDs and corticosteroid hormones such as prednisone/Deltasone, hydrocortisone/A-hydroCort and methylprednisolone/ Medrol) used to treat lupus have significant side effects - side effects that are the same as the symptoms of the disease itself.
According to Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Juices (Prentice Hall, 1994), Dr. John Heinerman recommends drinking carrot juice (mixed with chlorophyll) which contains high amounts of nutrients such as Vitamin A and mineral salts plus skin bathing in elderberry juice.
Dr. Andrew Weil, author of best-selling natural health books recommends taking gamma linolenic acid rich black currant oil (500mg twice daily) and feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), both have anti-inflammatory properties.
Ms. Isabelle Navarre-Brown reveals in 76 Ways to Use Noni Fruit Juice (Direct Source, 2001) that the use of noni fruit juice can help promote a gradual improvement in overall health and well-being so that the underlying problem facing this chronic condition can be addressed and not only the symptoms.
Noni has pain-relieving compounds such as scopoletin, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine properties needed for smooth joint movement. Another component being xeronine, a cell-building substance discovered by Dr. Ralph Heinicke. Xeronine is believed to prevent and repair damaged joint tissue while at the same time create a healither immune system. Noni's many other beneficial nutrients (over 150 nutraceuticals have been found) work synergistically to fight pain and help with many other health challenges.
Reference : "The Pain Fighter-Tahitian Noni Juice-Explore Noni's Unique Relationship to Arthritis, Inflammation and the COX 2 Enzyme" Neil Solomon (Direct Source, 2001)
Vitamins A, C and E, fish oils and selenium , pycnogenol, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are nutrients that can play an important role in battling against lupus.
Exercise, diet modification (e.g. forgoing diary and polyunsaturated oils, eating a low animal-protein diet) plus the use of herbs and supplemments have shown favourable results. Do consult a nutritionist for advice.
Do not take alfalfa (seed or sprout) which contains a substance called L-canavanine sulfate believed to aggravate SLE and other autoimmune diseases.
Reference : "Systemic lupus erythematosus-like syndrome in monkeys fed alfalfa sprouts: role of a nonprotein amino acid." Malinow MR, et al. Science (1982) 216(4544):415-417
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a natural hormone produced by the adrenal glands has been used to treat lupus with favourable results. However there are safety concerns regarding the supplementation of DHEA. Much more has to be known in terms of the benefits and risks involved. DHEA is a precursor to testosterone and estrogen, people with breast or prostate cancer or a family history of these conditions should avoid supplementing with DHEA.
Preliminary evidence has linked higher DHEA levels to ovarian cancer in women.
Reference : "Scientific verdict still out on DHEA" A. Skolnick, et al. Journal of the American Medical Association (1996) 276:1365-1367
"Problems that are caused by an imbalance in the immune system will always, and often dramatically, improve with a diet that cleanses and improves the function of the liver."
- Sandra Cabot, , The Liver Cleansing Diet (WHAS, 1996)
"Lupus is another immune-deficient disease that is generally not being addressed successfully by the medical community. It responds well to diet and nutritional improvement."
- Linda Rector, Healthy Healing (Healthy Healing Pub, 2000)
"I believe that noni works via the proxeronine bundles sent by the Golgi apparatus in our cells to the specific cells and tissues suffering from constant pain and inflammation, whether from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or ankylosing spondylitis."
- Neil Solomon, The Noni Phenomenon (Direct Source, 1999)
