Treatment Options for Lupus

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Treatment Options for LupusLupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system attacks the body instead of invading bacteria and infections. It can cause a wide variety of symptoms and no two patients with it have the same symptoms and experience. We need to learn to treat Lupus Rash naturally.

Although there is no cure for Lupus, there are treatment options. Since Lupus is different for every person affected by it, doctors must base the treatment off of their patient’s symptoms. The following are some of the most common drugs and medications used to treat Lupus.

1. Since Lupus causes inflammation, doctors may use NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammation drugs) such as Aleve and ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and pain throughout the body or area(s) affected.

2. Antimalarial drugs are another medication used to treat and control Lupus. Although this medication was intended to treat malaria, it was found that it also helped control the immune system for those fighting Lupus.  Here is a look at how this works.

3. Corticosteroids fight inflammation caused by Lupus. Used as a fast-acting steroid, this group of drugs quickly helps with some of the painful side effects caused by the inflammation Lupus creates. This group of drugs can cause many side effects that are long-term and may cause damage to the body, especially when coming off of them quickly.

4. Immunosuppressants may be used in cases where Lupus is extremely active and harder to control. It works by suppressing the immune system so that it stops attacking the body. Because it suppresses the immune system, it has its disadvantages as well as advantages. While it slows the immune system’s attack, which helps with pain and inflammation in Lupus patients, it also weakens the body’s ability to fight infections. This may lead to increased risk of infections, illnesses, and cancer, making it more dangerous to take.

Lupus may also affect the skin. To protect their skin from the sun, people with Lupus may apply sunscreen frequently and wear more clothing to cover their skin. Home remedies, such as cod liver oil, baking soda, and olive oil may be used drugs, and steroidal creams may also be used to soothe skin rashes.

Aside from the physical treatments, if someone you love has Lupus, let them know they are loved! Be their support, and show them you care. Sometimes, that makes all the difference.

Many continue to be affected by the terrible condition, so we hope for continued medical advancements, and maybe one day in the future a cure!

What is the Cause of Lupus

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What is the Cause of LupusLupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease where the body attacks its own cells and organs, and its cause is still unknown.  However general scientific consensus is that there there is a complex interplay of internal and external causative factors that influence the development of lupus. These include hormones, genetics, and environmental stressors.

Hormones

Scientists have considered a potential hormonal link to lupus, since 9 out of 10 people who are diagnosed with the condition are females, mostly of childbearing age, between 15 and 45 years.

Estrogen is produced at far higher levels in women than in men. Furthermore, it has been observed that when estrogen levels are high, lupus symptoms are aggravated, such as prior to menstrual periods or during pregnancy.

Women appear to be more susceptible to lupus and other autoimmune diseases, however research into this hormonal link is still ongoing in the scientific community.

Genetics

Genetic factors have also been shown to be contributory factors in the development of lupus. More than 50 genes have been identified as commonly associated with lupus, and lupus sufferers are more likely to have these genes, than those who do not.

However, genetic susceptibility alone does not directly cause lupus. While lupus can develop in individuals with no family history of it, research has shown that in such cases, other autoimmune diseases in family members are more likely.

In terms of ethnicity, research has also indicated a greater vulnerability to lupus in people of African, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Island descent.

Environmental Stressors

Many researchers have concluded that environmental stressors play a significant causative role in the development of lupus.  It has been suggested that the disease may be triggered in a genetically susceptible individual by an airborne virus, a chemical, or toxins like cigarette smoke, silica, and mercury.

Other environmental triggers for lupus, (which sufferers have also reported may cause flare ups), include: ultraviolet rays from the sun and / or fluorescent light bulbs; pharmaceutical drugs that increase sun sensitivity, such as sulfa drugs, diuretics, tetracycline drugs, and penicillin or other antibiotics. In addition, certain types of blood pressure medication and seizure medication have also been known to trigger lupus. When lupus is triggered or exacerbated by use of these drugs, symptoms often improve when they are discontinued.

Severe emotional stress and physical trauma, as well as exhaustion, infections, colds, or viral illnesses, are also considered factors that can contribute to the development of lupus.  Research efforts continue to identify the multifactorial causes of lupus.

Bioremediation and Geotechnical Engineering

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Bioremediation and Geotechnical Engineering

Protecting the planet so that many future generations of children can enjoy all of the wondrous resources we are able to enjoy now is an obligation we must take seriously. Sometimes accidents happen. When you spill soda on the carpet, you have to clean it up or else the carpet will be ruined by the stain. The same is true for environmental contaminants. Bioremediation is a process that can be used to extract and eliminate harmful substances that may contaminate our soil and our groundwater.
Bioremediation can be done both on-site using various methods such as landfarming, bioventing, and composting, and can also be done off-site by removing the contaminated material to be treated elsewhere.
The elimination of a wide range of pollutants and wastes from the environment is extremely beneficial not only for today but for the future as well. We only have this one Earth, and our descendants are counting on us to help keep it safe and abundant with diverse life.
We can also help protect the environment with the process of Geotechnical engineering. Geotechnical engineering has a rich history in our world. Even the Egyptians used soil as a material for foundations, burial, flood control, and irrigation purposes. Geotechnical engineering is a very useful technique to develop underground barriers to protect the surrounding soil and groundwater from being contaminated with pollutants.
Industrial waste is sometimes a necessary byproduct of our technologically advanced world. But we can help keep this waste from poisoning our water and killing our plants and animals with careful forethought and precise planning. We all know better now that you can’t just throw something away because nothing ever really goes away, it becomes part of our environment. Today we reduce, reuse, and recycle because we know that eventually there will just be too much trash and not enough space to keep it in. The Green Movement should be more than just political posturing. We should all walk the walk and not just talk the talk when caring for our environment. We should be role models to our children by teaching them that they should always leave an area better than they found it. Not only should we teach them to pick up their own trash, but the trash that was already there as well. If we all cleaned up after ourselves, there would be a lot less cleaning up to do. It starts at with us at home. Then we take this attitude to our businesses. The world will be a much better place when we all remember that if you spill something, you should clean it up because your mother doesn’t work here. And don’t you dare litter.