ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. About 1.5 million Americans have lupus, and there are at least 16,000 new cases each year. Here are some uncommon lupus symptoms that will make you think twice.
Award-winning singer Toni Braxton was diagnosed with lupus in 2008. Her most persistent symptom … blood clots.
Richard Nash, MD, Physician at Colorado Blood Cancer Institute says, “Some autoimmune diseases can be mild and, and vary, can be manageable, and some can be very severe and then resistant to therapy.”
No two patients share the same exact symptoms. In fact, there are quite a few symptoms that are lesser known. Number one … lupus psychosis. It is described as delusions or hallucinations. About 12 percent of lupus patients experience it.
A few more little-known symptoms are vertigo, Raynaud’s Syndrome, and oral health problems, like gum disease.
Doctor Nash says, “Common treatments are treatments that are going to suppress the immune system so that when patients develop an autoimmune disorder, there’s activity of the immune system against that organ system.”
And despite her illness, Toni Braxton is still releasing new music.
Some other symptoms of lupus are severe headaches, nerve complications, vision loss, and weight fluctuations.
Contributors to this news report include: Adahlia Thomas, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.