Diagnosing Lupus

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Diagnosing is a very difficult process because the symptoms vary from person to person. It may take weeks to years to diagnose. Lupus is known as the “ the great imitator” because the symptoms mimic other illnesses so sign and symptoms can change over time and may be confused for other disorders which makes diagnosing a very challenging. This is one of the mains reason that doctors may not initially come to the conclusion that lupus is the cause of certain symptoms. Many times doctors do not diagnose lupus until the signs and symptoms become more prevalent in the body. Even when the disease is diagnosed it can still be challenging because nearly all people with lupus experience fluctuations in disease activity. During the times of fluctuation…show more content…
Even though there is not one test that can diagnosis lupus but with every test that you take will help pin point the severity of the illness. Routine blood test are taken to check you complete blood count levels in lupus the blood tests are low. Urine test are taken because lupus attacks the kidneys. The most common urine tests look for cell casts which is bits of cells that normally would be removed when your blood is filtered through your kidneys, and proteinuria which is a protein being spilled into your body because your kidneys are not filtering the waste properly. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate are taken to determine the rate at which the red blood cells settle to the bottom of a tube in an hour. A faster rate than normal are red flags for lupus. Kidney and liver assessments which tell how your liver and kidney are functioning. Antinuclear antibody test are taken to check for certain antinuclears in the body because these antinuclear indicate a stimulated immune system which is common in lupus. However, not having a postitive antibody test does not mean you do not have lupus because certain medication can increase your ANA levels. X-ray’s of your chest are taken to seek abnormalities in the lung area. Electrocardiogramis are taken to test measure the pattern of electrical impulses generated in your heart. It can help identify irregular rhythms or

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