In weeks prior I’ve discussed different aspects of Lupus. Now I want to discuss in detail how Lupus is diagnosed.
As we’ve learned Lupus is chronic and complex, as well as unpredictable and varies greatly from one individual to the next making it often difficult to diagnose. Because of this, there is no single laboratory test that can determine if a person has lupus. To complicate matters even more, many symptoms of lupus are similar to those of other diseases, and symptoms can develop gradually as well as come and go over weeks and months. It can often take years for a diagnosis to be made. To diagnose lupus, a doctor should be able to find physical or laboratory evidence of the condition, such as swelling of joints, protein in the urine, fluid around the lungs or heart, or a skin biopsy that shows evidence of the disease. The doctor also will look at a person’s medical history and special tests to rule out other diseases.
Doctors use the American College of Rheumatology's “Eleven Criteria of Lupus” to help make—or exclude—a diagnosis of lupus.
Typically, four or more of the following criteria must be present to make a diagnosis of systemic lupus.
So what happens after you diagnosed with Lupus?
Though there is no cure for lupus, in the past several years, treatment has improved considerably and currently there are medications that are proving effective. Only three drugs were FDA-approved for the treatment of lupus (Prednisone, Aspirin, Hydroxychloroquine) until the 2011 FDA approval of Belimumab so advances are being made. Suprising to some, most people with lupus can live normal lives as longs as the disorder is carefully monitored and treatment adjusted as necessary to prevent serious complications. Also, it is recommended that those that have been recently diagnosed with Lupus educate themselve as much as possible about the disease as well as seek support as apart of treatment. I've included a link below that I found very informative titled, "Living with Lupus".
Also, I've included and interactive link, "Could I have Lupus", which is a checklist/quiz that anyone can take if they suspect they may be suffering from Lupus.
http://www.lupus.org/newsite/pages/lupusChecklist.aspx
Until next time, check out the criteria chart above, the links above and below, comment, and post!
Thanks for reading!!!
Living With Lupus:
http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_learnliving.aspx?articleid=2252&zoneid=527
Diagnosing Lupus:
http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_learndiagnosing.aspx?articleid=2239&zoneid=524
Very interesting post. The many possible symptoms of Lupus made me wonder if it is commonly misdiagnosed. I found an article on arthritistoday.org that said lupus often mimics Rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, multiple sclerosis, lyme disease, fibromyalgia, etc. I also read that, luckily, the ANA is usually very helpful in differentiating between Lupus and diseases that it may mimic.
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