Treatment of lupus erythematosus does not always bring the expected result. First of all, because it is rarely possible to recognize the causes of this autoimmune disease that affects blood vessels and connective tissues. Experts from various medical fields are studying this problem. It is almost impossible to establish a diagnosis without a qualitative diagnosis, as doctors usually confuse secondary diseases that develop against the background of systemic lupus erythematosus. The symptoms and treatment of this ailment are dedicated to this article.
The causes of the disease
Judging by most photos, women often need treatment for lupus erythematosus. This fact is also indicated by medical statistics: men suffer from this disease much less frequently, and the disease is rarely diagnosed among young men.
Some researchers claim that a hereditary predisposition is the main cause of lupus erythematosus. Treatment of a disease provoked by mutated genes, in their opinion, will not bring a stable result. Disorders that have arisen at the genetic level negatively affect the immune system, forcing it to act not in defense, but against the body.
Other experts believe that the main factor in this pathology is a viral infection. The arguments of this version are numerous laboratory experiments and tests of scientists conducted in recent years. It is believed that the virus that has invaded the body stimulates the production of āwrongā antibodies: instead of destroying the pathogenic microbiota, they begin to actively fight their own tissues. The need for treatment of lupus erythematosus is difficult to overestimate. Without appropriate therapy, an ailment can lead to the appearance of dangerous diseases of the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular systems, and blood forming organs.
There is another form of lupus erythematosus - discoid. The treatment of this pathology is different from the therapy that is resorted to in case of diagnosing systemic lupus erythematosus. The discoid form is today recognized as an infectious-allergic autoimmune disease, despite the fact that the pathogenesis of the disease has not been fully studied. In the blood of patients with this disease, an excessive amount of gamma globulins is determined. Moreover, in the conclusions of specialists about laboratory studies of bone marrow, the presence of specific pathological cells is often mentioned. Such patients need urgent treatment - discoid lupus erythematosus inhibits the function of the adrenal cortex, causes disruptions in the reproductive, endocrine systems and metabolic processes.
How does it appear externally
Diseases develop according to the same scenario for all patients, regardless of its true cause. Symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus and the treatment of this disease largely depend on the individual characteristics of the patientās body, his age, the presence of additional chronic diseases and other factors.
The severity of the signs of pathology affects not only the well-being, but also the patientās lifestyle. The patient's condition rapidly worsens without proper treatment. Symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus that occur at an early stage of the disease:
- Inflammation of the small joints. Outwardly, the disease resembles arthritis, which is characterized by swelling, severe pain in the arms and legs, while the hands are deformed, swollen and redden. Large joints (hip, knee) are much less likely to be involved in the pathological process.
- Severe osteoporosis. Calcium entering the body is practically not absorbed. Experts learn about the deficiency of its content in bone tissue from a radiographic image.
- A rash on the epidermis is another symptom of lupus erythematosus in adults. Treatment of rashes is usually not required. Changes in the skin become visually noticeable after the patient is in the sun. As the disease progresses, small foci grow, merging into a single large spot, covered with flakes of exfoliating skin. The epidermis becomes thinner, small scars form on it, which are subsequently quite difficult to eliminate.
In addition to damage to the joints, cartilage and bones, patients often complain of a low-grade fever, fatigue that does not go away even after rest, general weakness, rapid weight loss. With lupus erythematosus, erythema can appear on the cheeks, nose, and scalp.
In addition to the external symptoms that cause the patient psychological rather than physical discomfort, it is worth noting other clinical signs of this autoimmune disease. These include manifestations of myocarditis, pericarditis, pleurisy - inflammatory processes that occur in the heart and lungs. Against the background of these disorders, arrhythmia occurs, chronic heart failure develops. Often, pathologies are accompanied by disorders of the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.
Diagnostic Methods
The treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus must necessarily be preceded by a comprehensive examination. The "standard" triad of manifestations in the patient will be quite enough for the doctor to suspect an ailment. This is about:
- rashes on the skin;
- inflammatory processes in the heart, lungs;
- osteoporosis and joint damage.
Without laboratory and instrumental studies, it is impossible to confirm the diagnosis and begin treatment. Diagnosis of lupus erythematosus in the early stages includes:
- Clinical blood test. For the acute stage of the disease, an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), a decrease in leukocyte and lymphocyte counts are characteristic. A patient with lupus erythematosus is sometimes found to have hemolytic or hypochromic anemia, which is caused by chronic inflammation, intoxication, internal bleeding.
- General urine analysis. In patients with lupus in the urine, protein, blood, leukocytes in varying degrees of severity are detected, indicating a change in the work of the kidneys.
- Blood chemistry. Such a study is carried out, as a rule, in order to objectively assess the degree of functionality of internal organs and systems.
In addition to laboratory, instrumental diagnostic methods are no less important:
- chest x-ray and CT;
- Echocardiography for the detection of pulmonary hypertension;
- electrocardiogram, Holter ECG monitoring;
- Ultrasound of the abdominal organs, esophagogastroduodenoscopy;
- electroencephalography, CT, MRI of the brain.
The basic principles of therapy
Just a few decades ago, the prognosis for people with lupus could not be called comforting. But in recent years, doctors have made a huge breakthrough. Subject to the early diagnosis, prescription and administration of effective drugs, patients acquire good chances to lead a full life.
The treatment regimen for lupus erythematosus with medicines is compiled purely individually for each patient, depending on the course of the disease, the stages of the disease, and the severity of symptoms. Therapy is carried out on an outpatient basis, but hospitalization may be necessary for the patient if:
- For a long time, persistent fever has been observed, which does not go astray with antipyretic drugs;
- he has a pre-infarction or pre-stroke condition, suspected pneumonia, dangerous central nervous system disorders;
- the patientās consciousness is oppressed;
- the level of leukocytes in the blood is rapidly falling;
- other symptoms progress.
Treatment of lupus erythematosus often involves the participation of narrowly specialized specialists (cardiologist, nephrologist, pulmonologist, rheumatologist). The main goal of the treatment of this disease is not only the elimination of symptoms, but also the preservation of the full vitality of the body. At the moment, the life expectancy of patients with this autoimmune disease is much longer than that which could be achieved, for example, 20 or 30 years ago. Success largely depends on the adequacy of therapy and the patient's responsible approach to the implementation of all medical prescriptions.
Hormone therapy
Since the pathology is based on the pathological autoimmune reaction of the body, it is possible to achieve more or less stable results and improve the patient's condition only by suppressing it. Treatment of lupus erythematosus in adults involves the use of drugs from several groups. One of them is hormone-containing drugs.
It is believed that it was glucocorticosteroids that helped make a huge leap in the treatment of lupus erythematosus. Hormonal drugs perfectly fight inflammation and inhibit the immune system. According to statistics, long before the introduction of corticoids into the therapeutic regimen, patients did not even overcome the five-year survival threshold after diagnosis.
Hormones can help with sudden exacerbations of the disease, which negatively affect the functionality of the kidneys. At the same time, corticosteroids have a lot of side effects, including poor mood, weight loss, and disruption of the endocrine system. In addition, hormone-containing drugs with prolonged use are addictive, they also increase the risk of bone damage and the development of osteoporosis, arterial hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Steroids in the treatment of lupus erythematosus are taken orally.
The main indicator of the effectiveness of hormone therapy is the duration of remission while maintaining small doses of drugs, a decrease in the activity of the pathological process, and a stable and satisfactory state of health. The most common corticosteroid that is prescribed for systemic and discoid lupus erythematosus is Prednisolone. At the acute stage, it is prescribed in a daily dosage of not more than 50 mg per kilogram of body weight of an adult patient. During remission, the dose is reduced to 15 mg.
For some reason, hormone treatment is ineffective. In particular, the effect of the drugs is neutralized if the tablets are taken irregularly. Steroids will not be useful even if the dose was incorrectly selected or treatment was started too late.
Side effects of hormones
Since lupus is predominantly female, many of them worry about the likely side effects of these steroid drugs. More often, patients are worried about the risk of possible weight gain. It is important to understand here that without hormone treatment, the prognosis will not be encouraging. In addition, very often fears and speculations about taking hormones are exaggerated. Many people are forced to take steroids for more than one decade in a row, while not everyone has side effects.
In addition to weight gain, more likely complications after taking steroids include:
- gastrointestinal ulcer;
- increased risk of infection;
- the development of arterial hypertension;
- increased blood sugar.
Cytostatics
According to reviews, treatment of lupus erythematosus is not complete without the use of drugs of this pharmacological group, but they are prescribed in combination with hormones if the use of corticosteroids alone is not enough for positive dynamics of recovery. Cytostatics, like corticoids, have immunosuppressive properties. The doctor makes the decision to use these drugs for lupus with a progressive course, as well as in the case of diagnosing nephritic or nephrotic syndromes, indicating the involvement of the kidneys in the pathological process.
Cytostatics can serve as an alternative treatment with low efficacy of isolated hormone therapy or the need to reduce the dose of steroids due to their poor tolerance or the sudden development of side effects. Often, patients with lupus are prescribed Azathioprine, Cyclophosphamide, Imuran.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Such drugs are prescribed for patients with severe inflammation, swelling, joint pain. āDiclofenacā, āIndomethacinā, āAspirinā, āParacetamolā, āIbuprofenā help minimize the severity of these symptoms. You can take drugs from the NSAID group longer than hormones. In addition, they have fewer contraindications and side effects. The course of treatment with these drugs continues until the disappearance of the articular syndrome and stabilization of body temperature.
The choice of medicine or combination of drugs depends on each individual case. For some patients, taking only non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is enough to control the course of the disease and suppress the symptoms.
Folk therapy
With the help of alternative methods of treating lupus erythematosus, good results can be achieved. Quite often, in addition to drug therapy, experts advise herbal remedies and home recipes. Alternative treatment of lupus erythematosus is a good alternative to conservative in the presence of contraindications, but, despite this, it is impossible to self-medicate and mindlessly take all funds in a row. Before resorting to unconventional methods of therapy, it is necessary to consult with your doctor.
Some herbs have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, other plants have a diuretic and wound healing effect, stimulate the production of hormones in the body, and reduce high blood pressure. With a competent combination of components, it is possible to reduce the severity of symptoms and enrich the body with vitamins and essential microelements. Particularly popular are several recipes for effective folk remedies for the treatment of lupus erythematosus.
Herbal infusion
To prepare this tool you will need:
- motherwort (2 tbsp. l.);
- St. John's wort (2 tbsp. l.);
- celandine (1 tbsp. l.);
- rosehip (3 tbsp. l.);
- white willow bark (1 tbsp. l.);
- birch buds (2 tbsp. l.);
- burdock root (1 tbsp. l.).
The mixture must be carefully crushed by passing through a meat grinder or coffee grinder, mix and send to a dark, dry place. Before each reception, it is necessary to prepare a fresh infusion, for which you will need 10 g of this plant harvest. The raw material is poured into 500 ml of boiling water and, having covered with a lid, left for 5-7 hours. After time, you need to strain the drink and to enhance the therapeutic effect, add a teaspoon of alcohol tincture of sophora. Take 250 ml of infusion on an empty stomach and before dinner. The course of treatment is 2 weeks. You need to drink the drink regularly for six days, after which take a one-day break and continue treatment.
Hypericum oil
Treatment of lupus erythematosus folk remedies implies not only oral administration of decoctions and infusions. St. John's wort oil is used to treat skin rashes on the face . You can cook it at home. It will take a couple of tablespoons of plant flowers and a glass of olive or sunflower oil. To insist, it is necessary to remove it in a distant cool place for 2-3 weeks, but shake the contents every day. When St. John's wort oil is ready, they lubricate the affected areas of the skin in the morning and before bedtime. Similarly, you can make sea buckthorn oil - it also copes with problem areas on the epidermis.
Other folk recipes
- From joint pain caused by systemic lupus erythematosus, you can use chestnut tincture. Such a tool is sold in a pharmacy and is inexpensive. To relieve swelling and pain, you need to rub the tincture into the joint every day, after which it is necessary to bandage or wrap it with a warm cloth. The course of treatment is 1-2 weeks.
- Another option of folk remedy, which helps with joint damage. To prepare it, you will need dried cherries (100 g of fruits), parsley root (20 g), black elderberry flowers (2 tbsp. L.). All ingredients are mixed and brewed with a liter of hot boiled water, then put on a slow fire and brought to a boil. Once the broth has cooled, it must be well filtered. You need to take the drug half an hour before a meal in a glass.
- For patients with impaired renal function, you can use this phyto-collection: 100 g of currant leaves, the same amount of corn stigmas and rose hips. Preparing a decoction in the same way as the previous tool.
How to live with this diagnosis
, , , :
In general, it is impossible to predict a complete recovery from lupus erythematosus. The percentage of deaths among patients with this disease is still high. But in most cases, the cause of death is not the lupus itself, but complications caused by infection or deep damage to internal organs. In case of timely detection of the disease and drawing up a competent treatment plan, lupus can be controlled, not allowing it to destroy health and life.