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| *Women health>>>Lupus |
How do the doctors test you for Lupus? |
How do the doctors test you for Lupus? http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/l/lupus/tr... Diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is difficult and sometimes takes years. There is no single definitive test for SLE. Symptoms vary widely among patients and can suggest many other conditions. SLE is sometimes called 鈥渢he great impostor鈥?because it can be mistaken for many other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis (a nerve disease) or Sjogren鈥檚 syndrome. A physician may need to test for and rule out other conditions. An accurate and complete medical history is crucial in diagnosing and monitoring SLE. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that individuals keep a checklist of symptoms (e.g., joint pain, rash) and bring it to a physician appointment. The list should include types of symptoms, sites where they occur, when they were first noticed, frequency of occurrence and recent dates. More information on diagnosing lupus is below: http://pain.health.ivillage.com/fibromya... The screening test for lupus is the anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) test. This is very helpful, some 90 to 95% of patients being positive. Obviously, from this figure, it is clear that a negative ANA does not EXCLUDE the diagnosis, but in any patient or family where lupus is suspected, this is the test the GP should be ordering. If this test is positive then more specific tests for lupus such as anti-DNA testing can be arranged. The ESR ( Sed. Rate) is a useful barometer of disease activity. It is not specific for lupus. For example, it can go up in anything from influenza to malaria, but it does provide a general idea of whether there is inflammation in the body or not. It is cheap and easy to measure and therefore one of the first tests which is carried out in someone who is unwell. Lupus pts. often have a low white blood cell count as well. These and on the basis of your symptoms will be used in making the dx of lupus, which if often hard to dx. Best wishes and take good care of yourself. Go to the Lupus Foundation link I have pasted below to find out more valuble info. http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webartic... |
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... hey, This link tells it all: ... Your doctor should be able to help. I end up taking predisone and plaquenil when I flare up from the sun, but a good moisurizer for sensitive skin works at relieving the itch. I get a ... Lupus cause, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment. Lupus, short for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease that can involve the organs and joints. Lupus symptoms vary, bu... Ask your dermatologist if it is a rare form of lupus called bullous. An African American woman in the support group I facilitate has that. I have seen it.... Hi, The treatment SLE The treatments of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) depends on which organs are affected and how severely. Because lupus may assume many forms, finding the mo... I have systemic lupus. I was diagnosed after two weeks in the hospital with "acute onset" lupus. Now that I know how lupus acts, I can tell you that my first flare was when I was 1... It didn't help me, but you may be different. I've had discoid for years, along with SLE, and the only thing that has ever helped has been prednisone and anti-malarial drugs. Di... |
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