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What Are Considered Vital Organs?
Vital organs refer to organs essential for survival, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease. By damaging the immune system, antibodies may now recognize parts of your own body as foreign. No two cases of lupus are alike, and because of its complexity any organ system in the body can be involved. Below PatientsLikeMe explores how it can affect different organs.
How Does Lupus Damage The Heart?
There are a number of ways it can affect this organ. Lupus can cause inflammation of the heart or blood vessels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular complications. Symptoms may include chest pain, irregular heartbeats, and in severe cases, it can contribute to heart disease. Besides these, 50% of people with lupus have higher blood pressure, and are at a greater risk of increased cholesterol and pericarditis, which is the swelling of the membrane surrounding the heart.
What About Kidney Function?
Lupus nephritis is a common complication where the immune system attacks the kidneys. This can generally lead to inflammation, proteinuria (protein in the urine), and potential kidney damage if not properly managed. Over time, kidney disease caused by lupus can lead to kidney failure. At that point, dialysis or a kidney transplant would be needed to maintain your health.
Can Lupus Affect My Lungs?
Lupus can cause inflammation of the lungs, leading to chest pain, shortness of breath, and other respiratory symptoms. In severe cases, it may eventually contribute to conditions like pleuritis or pneumonitis. If the lungs are affected, pleuritis is the most common symptom. This involves inflammation of the lining that covers the outside of the lungs, causing pain and shortness of breath.
How Does Lupus Impact My Brain?
There are three parts of the nervous system: central, peripheral, and autonomic. Lupus can impact all three, leading to symptoms such as headaches, seizures, mood disorders, and cognitive dysfunction. In some cases where it affects the organ, it can result in more severe complications like strokes.
Does Lupus Impact The Liver?
Your liver helps the body digest food and filter waste out of your blood. Lupus often can affect the liver, causing inflammation. However, liver involvement in lupus is less common than in some other autoimmune diseases. Symptoms may include fatigue, jaundice, or abdominal pain.
Can Lupus Affect The Gastrointestinal System?
The gastrointestinal tract is a series of hollow organs joined together, including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Lupus may affect these organs and cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Typically, this is a result of damage done by the immune system on healthy body tissues but can also be an indirect result of medications taken to treat lupus.
Does Lupus Affect The Blood?
While not an organ, lupus commonly affects blood cells, leading to conditions like anemia, leukopenia (low white blood cell count), and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count). Regular monitoring through blood tests is crucial for managing these complications.
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