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There are five main types of Lupus that manifests in patients:
- Drug-induced lupus erythematosus
- Lupus nephritis
- Discoid lupus erythematosus
- Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus
- Neonatal lupus
Drug-induced Lupus Erythematosus
A drug-induced form of Lupus is triggered when patients take certain medications for long-term illness.
Symptoms of drug-induced lupus erythematosus are the following join pain, fever, inflammation of heart and lungs, high blood pressure and skin rashes.
This is by far a milder version of this disease and can be easily treated by stopping the medications that trigger this condition. Early detection is however vital in this case and the symptoms normally disappear after a few weeks of discontinuing the medication.
Some of the medications that trigger this condition are –
- Procainamide
- Hydralazine
- Isoniazid
- Quinidine
- D-Penicillamine
- Carbamazepine
- Infliximab
Physicians normally prescribe Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) to patients to ease the symptoms and Cortocosteroids might be prescribed for those with severe symptoms
Lupus Nephritis
Causes inflammation of the kidneys it manifests itself through following symptoms – Unexplained Weight Gain, High Blood Pressure, Tea Colored Urine or Swelling around the eyes, legs, ankles or fingers.
This condition occurs when the antibodies compliment and build up in the kidney which causes inflammation and excessive protein secretion. This rapidly causes renal failure and the nitrogen waste products enter the blood stream.
The treatment of this type of Lupus would vary from medications to dialysis or in worst cases kidney transplant depending on the condition of the patient.
Discoid Lupus Erythematosus
This type of lupus is a chronic skin condition where the patient develops rashes, sores or lesions in the face, scalp and in other parts of the body. The lesions may cause permanent scarring or hair loss if it appears in the face or scalp.
Some patients can also develop Discoid Lupus where the internal organs can be affected as well. Most of patient develop photosensitivity and cannot bear sunlight.
Cortisone ointment or injections will be recommended based on the level of infection. The patients will be required to apply sunscreen lotions whenever they are exposed to the sun. Though this condition cannot be completely cured and the treatment is often life-long the patients can go into long-term remission if the medication is continuously taken.
Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
In this type of Lupus, a non-itchy dry rash appears on the upper back and chest, often following sun exposure but it does not cause scars. This type of Lupus doesn’t cause damage to internal organs unlike Discoid Lupus.
Neonatal Lupus
Is a autoimmune disease that affects new born babies if the mother is affected by Lupus. The baby is affected when the mother’s antibodies attack the fetus and causes abnormally slow heart beat, skin rash, liver inflammation, low blood and a heart block in the infant.
In most cases the symptoms associated with neonatal lupus disappear within several months and doesn’t develop into SLE though possibilities of the infant developing a congenital heart block is high. Most of the symptoms disappear by the time the child reaches six months of age.
During pregnancy, the congenital heart block can be diagnosed between the 15th and 25th week if the mother is affected by Lupus. Treatment can be given during the pregnancy to help the unborn baby by administering cortisone to the mother, which then transfers to the baby via the placenta. |
