Lupus is a severe autoimmune disease that is very complex and has many different varieties for each patient. There are various patterns and organs that may be damaged as a result of the disease, but the most prevalent health condition in lupus is a widespread inflammation that affects organs and tissues. There are different types of lupus according to the pattern of alterations, signs, and symptoms.
The most common type of lupus is systemic lupus erythematosus. As the name implies, it is a systemic alteration affecting many different regions of the body at the same time. Then, we have cutaneous lupus, which primarily manifests in the skin, and has discoid lupus erythematosus as the most common subtype. Other types are neonatal lupus, drug-induced lupus, and many more.
The cause of lupus is not entirely understood, but we do know how the disease starts. It has a strong genetic predisposition, but some environmental factors also contribute to the onset of the disease. The body starts creating antibodies against healthy tissues and blood vessels. Inflammation starts and becomes even worse when the patient experiences flares that usually appear in emotional settings or result from environmental triggers.
Signs and symptoms of lupus
1. Fatigue
Fatigue is not only about feeling tired because all of us have felt that way. Instead, we call fatigue a pathologic state of exhaustion that does not improve after a good night’s rest and other measures. It is common in many different health problems but is pretty severe in certain diseases such as lupus.
Fatigue is a prevalent symptom in most types of lupus, especially systemic lupus erythematosus. Newly diagnosed patients and those who undergo active flares of systemic lupus erythematosus often complain about feeling overly tired and weak. A rheumatologist should carefully assess this symptom because many cases of lupus have a concomitant disease, such as fibromyalgia. It is necessary to know whether fatigue is caused by an active flare, lifestyle habits, depression, medications, or any other cause.