By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
Lupus is not a common disease but became popular among Filipinos because the late President Ferdinand Marcos died from it. There are many types of lupus but when we say “lupus” we refer to the most common type which is systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE. It is an autoimmune disease.
What is an autoimmune disease? It is a condition where your immune system has gone awry. In our past issues, we discussed how our amazing immune system defends us from viruses, bacteria, toxins, cancer cells and blood and tissues from other people. When our immune system senses any of these invaders, it sends out general armies to attack and destroy them and also manufactures elite forces called antibodies for specific viruses. In autoimmune disease, the immune system cannot distinguish between your healthy cells and foreigners so that it attacks even your normal cells! It mistakes part of your body like your joints or skin, as foreign and manufactures antibodies called autoantibodies against them. This attack sets off other defense mechanisms like inflammation but because it is over-reaction, it becomes a disease. Scary, isn’t it! What could cause such craziness?
Like other modern diseases, it is observed by scientists (like us, ehem) that incidence of autoimmune diseases worldwide is increasing. Naturally we look at what is happening in the modern world and there are suspected risk factors for autoimmune diseases. I say “suspected” because it is impossible to deliberately experiment on humans but we study patterns in patients and patterns in society and that is where we discern connections. “We” means researchers in the academe, in the laboratory and people in the community like you, dear reader, and me. With that, here is the list of possible risk factors:
1. Western diet. Eating high fat, high sugar and highly processed foods is linked with inflammation which could mislead the immune system. I imagine that these foods alter the cells in our body thus our immune system does not recognize them. Perhaps they become so fat? Hehe.
2. Exposure to chemicals like solvents (thinners, cleaners), paints, pesticides, synthetic household cleaners, etc. If these alter our external environment, I suspect they can alter our cells, too, once they get to our body through inhalation or ingestion.
3. Some medicines, like procainamide and hydralazine, can cause lupus symptoms which will disappear after some time that the drug is discontinued.
4. Over cleanliness. I quote Stephanie Watson of healthline.com/health/autoimmune disorders: “A 2015 study focused on another theory called the hygiene hypothesis. Because of vaccines and antiseptics, children today aren’t exposed to as many germs as they were in the past. The lack of exposure could make the immune system prone to overreact to harmless substances.” The researchers observed that societies that have less prevalence of infections have more autoimmune diseases while societies with more prevalence of infections have less autoimmune diseases. Hmmm… makes us rethink our health interventions, eh?
There are more than 80 kinds of autoimmune diseases and I will just mention a few of the more common ones as follows:
1. Lupus
2. Psoriasis
3. Type 1 diabetes
4. Inflammatory bowel disease
5. Multiple sclerosis
6. Grave’s disease
Symptoms of lupus or any autoimmune disease will depend on what system or organ of the body is affected so these will vary from patient to patient. These include fatigue, joint pains/swelling, low-grade fever, skin rashes, , scaly skin (in psoriasis), “butterfly” rash in the cheeks (this is usually the tell-tale sign of lupus), high blood sugar (in type 1 diabetes). These may appear suddenly or develop slowly, may be mild or severe, may be temporary or permanent. Most people will have mild disease where there are periods of remission like cancer- symptoms recede after some time and may even completely disappear for a time, then flare up again. Because lupus is systemic, meaning it can affect all parts of the body, the vital organs like the kidneys, heart and lungs can be damaged so there could be shortness of breath, chest pain, kidney failure. Marcos had kidney transplant because of kidney failure.
Knowing the risk factors mentioned above, treatment and prevention of lupus and other autoimmune diseases will be addressing those. Immuno-suppressing drugs like those used for kidney transplants are used to temporarily control the overactive immune system and steroids and painkillers are used to control the inflammation and pain. Other medicines maybe used to ease other symptoms as they appear. However, the best remedy is lifestyle change which will help reverse the damage not only in the immune system but bring about general overhaul – shifting to a healthy natural diet, enough exercise, avoidance of synthetic chemicals, allowing for natural exposure to the elements and environment and trusting the Divine. This is easier said than done so why wait for disease to occur when we can prevent it?
===
“And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.” Jeremiah 2:7**
