3 minutes agoAuthor: Gaurav Tiwari
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Famous American singer and businesswoman Selena Gomez made it to the Bloomberg Billionaire list in early September. This is a big achievement for a female singer at the age of just 32. There was a lot of discussion about this in the country and the world. But not a few days have passed and Selena is once again in the news. She has revealed that she can never become a mother.
She said, “I never imagined that unfortunately I would not be able to give birth to my child myself. I have many medical problems, due to which my child’s life can be in danger. I was in mourning for a long time after knowing this about myself.”
The reason for Selena not being able to become a mother is that she has an autoimmune disease called lupus. Due to this, she had to undergo a kidney transplant in the year 2017. In this disease, the immune system becomes hyperactive and starts attacking the organs and tissues of the body considering them as enemies. This causes inflammation, which can affect important organs like kidneys, lungs and heart. Also, the risk of their damage also increases. Sometimes this disease can also affect pregnancy.
According to the American Lupus Foundation, approximately 5 million people worldwide are affected by some form of lupus.
so today ‘health report‘ I will talk about lupus. Along with that, we will know that-
- Why and who gets this disease?
- What are its symptoms?
- How is lupus spread?
- What is its treatment?
What is Lupus
Lupus is a condition that causes inflammation throughout the body. It is an autoimmune disease. In this condition, our immune system starts damaging the body instead of protecting it. Its symptoms can appear in any part of the body. It depends on which part of the body the autoimmune system is damaging the tissues of.
What are the symptoms of lupus
Lupus can cause symptoms throughout the body. The symptoms are more visible in the part or tissue of the body that is most affected by this autoimmune disease. Therefore, its symptoms can be experienced differently by each person.
Lupus symptoms usually come and go, like the ebb and flow of the ocean. When symptoms flare up, they can be so severe that they can disrupt daily routine. When symptoms are mild, a person affected by the disease can lead a normal life.
When you have an autoimmune disease, its symptoms usually develop very slowly. In the early days, one or two symptoms may appear. After this, as time passes, many of its symptoms may appear.
See the graphic to see what kind of signals are usually received.
Due to lupus disease, inflammation keeps increasing in the body and tissues keep getting affected. Due to this, many other health conditions can also develop, such as-
- Photosensitivity (sensitivity to light)
- Dry Eyes
- Depression or other mental conditions
- Seizures may occur
- Anemia
- osteoporosis
- Heart Disease
- Kidney Disease
Who is at risk for lupus?
Lupus is an autoimmune disease. Anyone can get it. It is not an infectious disease. This means that it is not a disease that spreads from one person to another. Despite this, anyone can get this disease.
why does lupus happen
Till now no exact cause of lupus has been found. However, some health conditions and the environment around us can trigger lupus.
Let us understand these points in detail.
Genetic causes: According to the Lupus Foundation of America, there are about 50 genes that may be responsible for lupus. Therefore, having certain genetic mutations may increase the risk of developing lupus.
Hormonal imbalance: According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, the reaction of certain hormones in the body may increase the risk of developing lupus. Increased estrogen levels can also increase the risk of developing this disease.
Environmental toxins : The risk of someone developing lupus also depends on how polluted the area they live in or how much sunlight they have. Higher pollution and more sunlight exposure can increase the risk.
Health conditions: If someone has been smoking for a long time, is often under stress, already has some autoimmune health conditions, then lupus can be triggered due to all these reasons.
Some medicines: Medications given for arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and spondylitis may also increase the risk of developing lupus.
What is the treatment for lupus
Till now there are no specific medicines available for the treatment of lupus. However, with the help of some medicines its symptoms can definitely be reduced.
Before starting treatment, doctors try to find out which organ is at risk in a person affected by lupus. After this, they try to reduce the damage with the help of medicines.
Along with this, medicines are also given to reduce the effects of autoimmune diseases and reduce inflammation in the body. Apart from this, some changes in lifestyle can also prove to be helpful.
Lifestyle changes are important when you have lupus
Along with medicines, doctors also recommend lifestyle changes to reduce symptoms. Some of these changes are very important, such as:
- It is important to avoid direct sun rays.
- Take a healthy and balanced diet every day.
- Vitamin D, calcium can help reduce its symptoms.
- Exercise daily.
- If you smoke, quit.