Cover News Reporter Zhou Jiayi.
Lupus erythematosus is known as the "immortal cancer", which mostly occurs in young women and can occur from the inside out, from head to toe. Today, Huang Xiangyang, a first-level expert from the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of West China Fourth Hospital of Sichuan University, gave us a detailed explanation and took us to understand several common doubts at one time.
Q: What exactly is systemic lupus erythematosus?Why is it called "immortal cancer"?
Huang Xiangyang: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys its own healthy tissues, which can affect multiple tissues and organs such as **, joints, kidneys, heart and brain, and is more common in women of childbearing age.
Lupus erythematosus is known as the "cancer that does not die", mainly because it is a chronic, ** autoimmune disease, and its long-term and difficult-to-** characteristics are similar to cancer to some extent. Although it usually does not directly lead to death, the persistent symptoms and impact on quality of life make it a long-term health challenge.
Q: Who are the main groups of people who suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus?Why are young women a high-risk group?
Huang Xiangyang: Surveys around the world have found that the ratio of men to women with SLE is about 1 10, and the vast majority of patients are women between the ages of 15 and 40, regardless of whether they are white, black or yellow. The study found that in both men and women, estrone hydroxylide and urine estrogen metabolites were elevated, suggesting that estrogen levels were associated with the development of SLE erythematosus. Women of childbearing age after puberty have a significant increase in estrogen in their bodies, making them susceptible to lupus erythematosus.
In clinical practice, it has also been found that some patients develop the disease after menarche or postpartum, and oral estrogen-containing contraceptives can also induce this disease, and about one-third of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus worsen during pregnancy or the disease changes from remission to active after delivery.
Q: What is the ** of systemic lupus erythematosus?What are the early signs?
Huang Xiangyang: The incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus is unknown, and the onset may be caused by multiple factors, including genetics, sex hormones (estrogen and prolactin), environment (ultraviolet rays, drugs, diet, stress), infections (especially Epstein-Barr virus infection), etc.
In the early stage of the disease, there may be general symptoms such as fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, malaise, joint swelling and pain, muscle aches, and weight loss. Some patients present with specific symptoms, such as high fever, arthralgia, rash on the fingertips, and white or purple turning of the hands and feet when exposed to coldRecurrent mouth ulcers, superficial lymphadenopathy, and bleeding during menstruation**Purpura, anemia, decreased number of white blood cells and platelets;Headache, hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, stupor;Intractable diarrhea, vomiting;Jaundice, or palpitations and shortness of breath, inability to lie flat, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, etc.
Q: Will systemic lupus erythematosus affect my work and life?
Huang Xiangyang: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus will affect their normal work and life during the active stage of the disease, but once the disease is effectively controlled, they can resume normal work and life, and pay attention not to exertion. Under the guidance of specialists, regular reviews and assessments should be carried out, disease activity should be actively controlled, clinical symptoms should be improved, long-term sustainable remission of the disease should be achieved, the quality of life should be improved, and the conditions should be able to participate in the work that they can tolerate.
It should be noted that if you are willing to get married, you should not hide your illness from the other party, but should obtain the understanding of the other party, otherwise it will bring more unhappiness after marriage, and even aggravate the condition.
Q: What should patients with systemic lupus erythematosus pay attention to in their daily life?
Huang Xiangyang: It is necessary to achieve "five musts". Five musts, which means to follow the doctor's instructions, to have sufficient rest, to be happy, to eat reasonably, and to have regular check-ups;**Yes, it means not to use drugs indiscriminately, not to overwork, not to be exposed to the sun, not to hearsay, and not to stop the drug suddenly. Systemic lupus erythematosus has a genetic predisposition and can affect pregnancy, so if you want to know more about it, you can consult a specialist.