May 10th is World Lupus Day every year.
After being diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, patients and their families will have many questions.
Why do I get this disease?
Can I work and live normally after getting lupus erythematosus?
The experts from the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the First Hospital of China Medical University will tell you.
Why did “I” get SLE?
Although the etiology of lupus is unclear, interactions such as genetic and environmental factors may cause or induce lupus flare-ups.
Environmental factors mainly include:
1. Sunlight or artificial ultraviolet rays may cause chromosome breakage in epidermal cells and activate inflammatory cells in the skin.
2. Certain drugs, such as sulfonamides (co-trimoxazole), tetracyclines, penicillin, etc.
3. Any factors that cause physical damage, such as infection, surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, mental stimulation, excessive work pressure, etc., but the premise is that most of these people have immunogenetic abnormalities.
The above factors eventually lead to abnormal function of immune cells, producing a large number of antibodies against their own tissues and organs, that is, anti-nuclear antibodies, anti-diabodies, anti-Sm antibodies, etc. that we often see in laboratory tests . Antiphospholipid antibodies will combine with the corresponding self-antigens in the body to form corresponding immune complexes, which are deposited in the skin, joints, small blood vessels, glomeruli and other parts, resulting in common clinical manifestations such as leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, Hemolytic anemia, urinary protein and urinary occult blood, etc.
Can I work and study normally with systemic lupus erythematosus?
The answer is yes, but the premise is that it must be under the guidance of a doctor, especially in the early stage or active stage of the disease, and proper rest is required.
On the one hand, because a large number of hormones and immunosuppressants are used in the treatment, the risk of infection may be increased, and patients need to reduce fatigue and prevent the decline of immunity. On the other hand, patients should reduce contact with dense crowds to reduce the risk of infection.
Once the disease is in remission, the patient can resume normal work, school and family life. As long as you insist on treatment, regular review, and regular medical treatment, most lupus erythematosus conditions can be controlled and stabilized, and you can enjoy family life and study like normal people.
However, we must also be vigilant, try not to work too hard, ensure adequate sleep, try to avoid strong sunlight, etc., to prevent the recurrence of the disease.
Regular review is the top priority
During the course of treatment, doctors are most concerned about the following two issues:
1. Whether the disease itself is effective Control, whether it is necessary to adjust the drug treatment plan
2. Whether the drugs taken, such as hormones and immunosuppressants, may cause gastric bleeding, decrease in blood leukocytes, platelets, and damage to liver and kidney functions, etc. side effect.
The doctor will check and adjust the treatment plan according to the above two aspects. Therefore, regular review is particularly important.