Lupus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lupus - Essay Example Although a great deal of research has been dedicated to understanding this disease, there is no cure, but there are a number of treatments, particularly, in the area of physical therapy that has shown to have beneficial results. In a normal functioning immune system the body produces proteins called antibodies that will fight against antigens like, viruses and bacteria. Again, Lupus is an autoimmune disease, the disease confuses the immune system and it becomes incapable of differentiating between invading antigens and healthy tissue and internal structures, which can lead to, dependent of the type of Lupus, a number of symptoms including inflammation in joints, swelling of the skin, and damage to organs, including kidneys, heart, and lungs (Crosta , 2013). There are a number of types of Lupus. Neonatal Lupus s a rare type of Lupus that specifically affects newborns. Drug-Induced Lupus is, also, relatively rare. Unlike other forms of Lupus, whose origins and causes cannot be easily determined, is directly caused due to a side-effect of certain medications. Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus results specifically in skin sores in areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Discoid lupus erythematosus presents as a perpetual skin rash, however, it is systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE that is the most common and the most systemically damaging in that it affects multiple systems including joints, skin and internal organs. When people refer to Lupus it is this type that they are most often referring to (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 2009). There is no singular cause or cure for this form of Lupus. Researchers do believe that because it appears often in families there is likelihood of a genetic component, otherwise they believe the condition can be triggered by environmental factors, sunlight, stress response, and, again, some medications (Eustice,