Flare Indicators and Triggers

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Flare Indicators and Triggers

Flare Indicators

The following symptoms could indicate a lupus flare:

Fatigue

Fever

Rash

rash on the cheeks

raised rash with little white bumps

redness of fingertips, tips of toes, areas around fingernails

redness on the palms or soles of the feet

Areas

of vasculitis (inflammation of small blood

vessels), which could be characterized by small ulcers

Fishnet

pattern to the skin

Fluid

or air filled blisters

Deep

pockets of inflamed and sometimes ulcerated skin

Loss

of hair

Sun

sensitivity

Mouth

or nose ulcers

Joint

pains

Muscle

inflammation

Small

nodules on the tendons (around the elbow or on the ankles)

Enlarged

lymph nodes

Enlargement

of the parotid glands (glands in the cheeks)

Low

platelet count

Low

white count or low lymphocyte count

High

blood pressure

Menstrual

period irregularities

Sore

throat, backache, headache

Eye

problems

spots in the eyes called cotton wool

spots

small hemorrhages

little clotted blood vessels in the eyes (found by your doctor)

Abnormalities

of complement

Antibodies

to cardiolipin

The

lupus anticoagulant

Triggers of lupus

flares:

· Sunlight

· Ultraviolet light

·

Infections

· Stress

· Surgical Procedures

· Pregnancy

· Sulfa drugs

· Birth control pills

· Radiation therapy

How Does A Person

Develop Lupus?

Some studies have suggested that lupus is a

" triggered " disease. They state there are three qualities that cause

a person to get lupus:

1. We have an inherited ability to come down with the

condition if we are triggered. Supposedly you don't inherit lupus,

you inherit the " ability " to get it. Any autoimmune disease in the

family genetics can lead to this inherited " ability " .

2. Stress of some type causes your immune system to be

less than satisfactory and when #2 is happening-

3. A sickness or virus of some type starts the immune

system on its path to self destruction. It is highly believed and has been

shown in many studies that Lupus may be

triggered from different types of viruses and retroviruses. Our weakened immune

system doesn't handle them like a normal persons, so

it starts attacking healthy cells, though retroviruses cause this themselves.

Hugs,

Deanna