Question: What does SLE mean? What kind of disease is it?
Answer: “Lupus” means “wolf” in Latin. This name was given due to the appearance of the skin findings on the patient's face. The cause of the disease is not fully known today. The disease occurs due to a disorder in the immune system (body defense system). The causes of this disorder include genetic and environmental factors. In other words, it is a disease caused by the normal functioning of the immune system, which occurs under the influence of an environmental factor (sunlight, viruses, chemicals, foods, drugs, etc.) in people with a genetic predisposition.
Question: SLE. Which parts of the body does it affect?
Answer: There are very few diseases that can affect the body as widely as SLE. It affects almost all body systems. These include many tissues and organs such as skin, kidney, joints, lung, heart, liver and nervous system.
Question: Is SLE a common disease?
Answer: It is not a very common disease. According to research, there is an incidence of 40 patients per 100,000 people. There is no data on this subject for our country, but it is estimated that it occurs at this frequency.
Question: At what age does SLE occur? Which gender does it affect more?
Answer: SLE occurs mostly between the ages of 15-45. It can also be seen rarely at earlier and later ages. The disease is 9 times more common in women than in men. It mostly affects women of childbearing age.
Question:What are the symptoms of SLE?
Answer: At the onset and active stages of the disease. During periods, there may be symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, malaise, loss of appetite, and weight loss that are not specific to a particular disease and can be seen during the course of many systemic diseases. The symptoms of SLE mentioned below may occur at the beginning of the disease or later. These findings;
Inflammation in the joints: It occurs as pain and/or swelling in the joints. It is the initial symptom in a significant portion of patients. Hand joints are frequently affected ir. It usually does not leave any permanent damage.
Skin and mucosal symptoms: 50-60% of SLE patients have sensitivity to the sun. A butterfly-shaped rash that also involves the root of the nose and spreads to the cheeks is a typical skin finding of SLE. Skin symptoms are not only on the face, they can also be seen in other parts of the body. Some leave scars when they heal. Additionally, skin rashes and wounds may develop as a result of vascular inflammation that develops during the course of SLE. Hair loss may occur during active periods of the disease. Sores may develop inside the mouth, especially on the hard (upper) palate. Sometimes, whitening-bruising may be observed on the fingertips, which may increase with cold and stress (Raynaud's phenomenon).
Kidney involvement: Kidneys may be affected in approximately half of the patients. Sometimes, due to excessive protein loss, edema may develop, especially in the legs. It is important to recognize and treat it at an early stage. Otherwise, it may progress to kidney failure and the need for dialysis may arise in these patients.
Lung and heart involvement: Inflammation may occur in the membrane surrounding the heart and lungs. Symptoms may include side pain that increases with breathing or coughing. Inflammation can occur in all layers of the heart. Heart valves may be affected.
Nervous system involvement: Both the central and peripheral nervous systems can be affected in SLE. Effects on the central nervous system may occur in the form of headaches, seizures, and sometimes psychosis. Long-term use of cortisone can also cause psychosis. Sometimes bleeding in the cerebral vessels, blockages due to clots, and resulting weakness on one side of the body may occur. Peripheral nervous system effects may occur in the form of numbness in the foot, hand, or drooping.
Vascular findings: Approximately 10% of patients develop blockages in the veins due to clotting. Apart from this, a condition called vasculitis (inflammation in the vascular wall) may accompany active SLE, and many organs may be affected for this reason. The functions of the affected organs may be impaired due to vasculitis. Some patients may have enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpit and groin.
Bone marrow: SLE sometimes affects the bone marrow. It may affect the blood cells and cause a decrease in some blood cells. It can also cause destruction of some blood cells.
Question:Is there a cure for SLE?
Answer: Yes. However, there is no treatment that will completely eliminate the disease in a short time. Today, the disease can be controlled with treatment.
Question:Does SLE progress the same way in every patient?
Answer:No . The severity of SLE and the condition of the affected organs are different in each patient. For example, in some patients, only skin involvement is prominent, while in some patients, a severe picture such as kidney and central nervous system involvement may occur.
Question: How is the diagnosis made?
Answer: The diagnosis of SLE must be made by a doctor experienced in this disease. Diagnosis; It is diagnosed by analyzing and synthesizing the symptoms of the disease and some findings obtained from blood tests. Basic points in diagnosis; symptoms of the disease (joint findings, skin-mucosal findings, sensitivity to the sun, findings of central nervous system effects, inflammation of the heart-lung membrane), findings in blood tests (decrease in the number of some blood cells, increase in their destruction), urinary findings (excretion of protein in the urine, The presence of some antibodies (ANA, anti-dsDNA, cardiolipin antibodies) in the blood.
Question: How should the disease be treated?
Answer: SLE treatment must be performed by a physician who is an expert on the disease and its treatment. When planning the treatment of SLE, the severity of the disease, the organs it affects, and other findings accompanying the disease are taken into consideration. Each patient's treatment is unique. It varies over time depending on the course of the disease. For example, the treatment of an SLE patient with prominent joint and skin involvement is different from that of another patient with kidney or central nervous system involvement.
Question: What is the course of the disease?
Answer: SLE progresses with periods of remission and exacerbation. Today, the disease can be kept under control. There are very effective drugs in the treatment of patients with vital organ involvement. r. One of the most important determining factors in the course of SLE is the patient's compliance with the doctor's follow-up and treatment. Unwanted results may occur in patients who cannot be followed up regularly and do not comply with their treatment.
Question:Can SLE patients become pregnant?
Answer: Follow-up. They can become pregnant under the control and permission of the relevant specialist doctor. Pregnancy should be planned at an appropriate time recommended by the doctor, by evaluating the activity of the disease and the medications used. Considering that most of the drugs used may be harmful to pregnancy and that unplanned pregnancy may put the mother's life at risk, birth control suitable for SLE should be applied. I wish everyone healthier and happier days.
Read: 0
