If you’ve been reading my site for a while, you know that I focus on helping women with lupus live a full, vibrant life. But what about men? Does lupus affect men as well as women?
To answer this question, I’ve asked Ruby Andrew to share some of her research about men and lupus.
Men and Lupus
Lupus is an auto-immune disease whose cause is closely connected with hereditary, hormonal and environmental factors. Though it has baffled medics and researchers for over a decade now, there have been advancements in lupus diagnosis mechanisms and treatment. It is more prevalent in females than males. In ten lupus patients, eight or nine of them are women, most of them in their childbearing age (15 — 45 years).
There are about five million lupus patients worldwide at the moment. With these facts and statistics, it is definite that this disease affects both males and females of all ages. It is only that is predominant in females than in males. But are there any difference in the two genders concerning the effect of this disease? What could be the cause of its amplified predominance in one gender than the other?
This article gives you answers to those questions and provides the effects of lupus to male patients.
Quite a number of studies and research have been conducted to establish if there is any difference between the male lupus and female lupus, and if so, what are those differences? In fact, studies found that there are noticeable differences.
These are the major symptoms of lupus exclusively for men according to these numerous research results.
Lupus Symptoms Exclusive to Men
Pleurisy
This is the inflammation of the pleura, the lining that surrounds the lungs. This condition causes the pleural layers to rub each other when breathing in and out, resulting to very poignant pain called pleurisy chest pain.
Hemolytic Anemia
This anemia is caused by the abdominal breakdown of red blood cells, commonly called hemolysis. This effect can take place in the blood vessels, which causes intravascular hemolysis, or outside the vessels, causing extravascular hemolysis.
Seizures
These are notable physical changes that occur due to abnormally excessive neuronal activities in the brain.
Discoid Lupus
This is a skin infection that causes scaling on the face, ears and scalp at times. For e.g.: discoid lupus may be more common in males and lessions have same symptoms in both male and female.
How Lupus Effect Men?
As can be vividly deduced, this disease affects almost every part of the whole body with the skin, joints and internal body organs being the hardest hit. For a healthy person, under normal conditions, the body’s immunities responds to the effects of a disease by fighting the invading pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses. But when this disease catches up with you, the body mistakes healthy tissues for foreign invaders and attacks them with autoantibodies. This is just like the body turning against itself and fighting its own cells and tissues. The end result is damage of very important tissues, excessive pain, and tissue malfunctioning and even death.
Whatever the cause of the disease, it is important to recognize that lupus is a male disease too, with harmful effects ranging from normal symptoms to life-threatening effects. If you are a male and suspect that you could be suffering from this disease, it is good to seek medical advice from your doctor.
About Ruby Andrews
Ruby Andrew lives in Bristol, UK and is an avid reader and blogger. Since her early years she’s had a passion for writing. Her articles have been published in leading UK newspapers. Her areas of interest are food, reviews (Book/Movie), Travel, Fashion, Lifestyle, Fitness and Health. She works as a guest blogger on her chosen areas of interest and currently writes on behalf of EHIC card.
