Inflammation
Dixie Mills, MD, is a
co-founder and advisor of the Women to Women Personal Program and a regular contributor
to Women to Women.com. Dr. Mills currently serves as Medical Director at the Dr.
Susan Love Research Foundation, a major center for breast cancer research in California.
What is lupus?
by Dixie Mills, MD, FACS
Lupus is an autoimmune disease accompanied by chronic
widespread inflammation — a disease that has proven in the past to
be fairly difficult to understand and control. There are several
types of lupus, with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) being the
most common form, and treatment is based on each individual’s unique case
and needs.
The word lupus means “wolf” in Latin, and erythema
is a Greek word for “blush.” Since lupus is often accompanied by a characteristic
rash on the face, the name may derive from a physician who thought it looked like
a wolf bite or wolf fur — at least, that is a common story! But the rash on
the face is better known today as a “butterfly rash,” as it extends
over nose on both sides of the cheeks in the shape of a butterfly. The types of
the disease can range from just the skin rash to a much more serious manifestation
of systemic inflammation that damages major organs, most often the kidneys
or lungs.
Types of lupus
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE)
- SCLE
- Drug-induced lupus
- Neonatal lupus
For more information on the similarities and differences between types of lupus,
visit the
Lupus Foundation of America website.
When I was in medical school, we saw several patients with lupus (mainly women)
in the hospital, and their cases were quite serious. Many needed organ transplants
or were dying from the disease. But the good news is that while the incidence
of milder stages of the disease has increased dramatically (it’s unclear why),
the late stages have decreased. For many lupus patients, the symptoms of lupus are
uncomfortable, but manageable.
The exact causes of lupus are still unknown to us, though at least two dozen genes
have been found to contribute to the disease, as do multiple environmental factors.
In the US, approximately 80–90% of lupus cases are women, making lupus about eight
times more common in women than in men. Certain ethnic groups are more predisposed
toward it, and rates of lupus can vary depending on where you live as well.
Lupus symptoms and diagnosis
Not everyone with lupus has the same symptoms, and one of the most heartbreaking
and aggravating aspects of lupus is that since the early symptoms can appear “mild”
to a doctor or healthcare practitioner, women with lupus are often labeled as “chronic
complainers” and allowed to get sicker before they receive their diagnosis.
I always shake my head at this — not only because women with a genuine illness
that can be treated aren’t being taken seriously enough by their
doctors, but also because not listening to a patient’s concerns can have dangerous
consequences. And it just doesn’t have to be this way.
Unfortunately, there is no simple diagnostic test for lupus. To be given an official
diagnosis of lupus, you must meet 4 of 11 criteria:
- Face rash over the bridge of the nose and spreading across the cheeks
- Scaly rash anywhere on the body
- Any rash that appears after exposure to the sun
- Painless sores or ulcers in the mouth
- Any pain, stiffness or swelling in multiple joints of the body
- Swelling of the linings around the lungs or the heart
- Kidney disease
- Any neurological disorder, such as seizures or psychosis
- Low blood counts, such as low red blood count, low platelet count, or a low white
cell count
- Positive anti-nuclear antibody tests, which indicate autoimmune disease
- Other positive blood tests that may indicate an autoimmune disease, such as a positive
double-stranded anti-DNA test, positive anti-Sm test, positive anti-phospholipid
antibody test or false-positive syphilis test
As you can see from the list, there are several blood tests that you can get, but
many of the tests can come back as “normal,” even when you know things
are not 100% right in your health — one reason lupus is often misdiagnosed.
However, it is important to get the tests to know where you stand at that moment,
and to rule out other problems.
At Women to Women, we recommend that each woman be her own best health advocate
— for women with lupus, or who are entering
menopause, you can begin by conducting a few interviews with different healthcare
professionals. Rather than trying to remember everything off the top of your head,
you can try keeping a journal of your symptoms, and bringing it with you to appointments.
Try to be as specific as possible, and include the frequency and/or dates on which
your flares or symptoms appear. That way, you and your provider can both begin the
process of finding the right path for managing your symptoms or flare-ups, and returning
your body to a more natural, balanced state.
Focus on feeling better
If I could say just one thing to a woman newly diagnosed with lupus, it’s
this: take a moment and set aside the fear and concern about the diagnosis itself.
Concentrate on reducing inflammation, and managing your symptoms inch by inch, or
one at a time. Through treating each smaller piece or factor, you can achieve the
broader, more complete balance to your life again.
Although there is no cure for lupus, women can manage their symptoms and prevent
flare-ups by controlling inflammation — and for this, there are several natural
strategies to try (I talk about them in greater depth in my
Lessons from lupus article). In other words, it might help to step away
from the word “diagnosis” for a second, just in the same way women at
midlife can step away from the word “menopause.” Instead, take a few
minutes and think about your symptoms as separate from a designated condition if
you can. When we look at our symptoms instead of the diagnosis, then we’re
going to figure out what we need to do to ease those symptoms — whether it’s
detoxification, soothing digestive imbalance, or above all quieting inflammation
— addressing any of these factors (or all!) can help you start to find relief.
Because in the end, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a “wolf”
or a “butterfly” — it matters only that you feel better!
Our Personal Program is a great place to start
The Personal Program promotes natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, our exclusive endocrine support formula, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we recommend to all our patients at the clinic.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-800-798-7902. We're here to listen and help.
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Related to this article:
References & further reading on lupus symptoms
and diagnosis
Original Publication Date: 09/21/2009
Last Modified:
09/24/2009
Principal Author: Dixie Mills, MD, FACS