Re: help with test results/and more

[Guest guest]

Steve,

It is like when I had cystic ovaries, if they caught then at the same time, I

had cystic ovaries and if my Epstein are had infection, there is something going

on.

Lab tests online is a great research item as it has a research column, lab

value, etc. I have taken an overview from the site.

When I went to my Hospital Administrator school. one of his instrutructions was

to " don't get caught up in the axle " . Well , I had an old wagon wll and we place

wire aound it and gave it as a placque with barbed wire around it : ) H e

laughed his butt off and we won for the year.

My point is that look at the big picture. My own aroynn is SOS, Seek Out

Solution, usinin TQM (Tope Quality Management) 'Baldridge Therapy;lin

Therapy\

atYourIllness.com

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Lupus is a tricky disease to diagnosis because its signs and symptoms mimic

those of so many other diseases. In fact, when health care professionals walk

down the path toward lupus diagnosis, they first take into consideration three

factors about a patient:

• His or her complete medical history

• An analysis of results obtained in routine laboratory tests

• Results from specialized tests related to immune status

One of the most common tests used by physicians to help diagnose lupus is the

anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) blood test.

ANA Test:

The ANA test is a screening test used for several autoimmune diseases. It

determines whether auto-anitbodies to cell nuclei are present in a person’s

bloodstream.

Other tests that would possibly be used in conjunction with the ANA test and in

the presence of inflammation include erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and

C-reactive protein (CRP) tests.

The ANA is currently one of the most sensitive diagnostic tests available for

confirming the diagnosis of SLE when accompanied by typical clinical findings.

Without those findings, however, a positive ANA may mean nothing at all.

The Elusive Positive ANA:

In 97% of cases diagnosed as SLE, those patients will produce a positive ANA.

But a positive ANA test result must be accompanied by more common clinical

features, such as ailments of the skin,joints, kidneys, central nervous system,

and so forth, to truly signal SLE. And further testing is almost always required

to make a final diagnosis.

p]Consider that a positive ANA test may come back from the lab before any other

SLE signs or symptoms are present. If this is the case, a doctor will monitor

the patient for further developments.

Also, a positive ANA test by itself could be one of several other diseases,

including drug-induced lupus. Some of those diseases include:

• Other connective tissue diseases, such as scleroderma and rheumatoid

arthritis

• Reaction to certain drugs

• Viral illnesses, such as infectious mononucleosis

• Chronic infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and malaria

• Other autoimmune diseases, including thyroiditis and multiple sclerosis

Overall, the ANA test should be considered a screening test. A positive test

without clinical features or other signs or symptoms of lupus can often be

dismissed by the patient.

Sources:

ANA. Lab Tests Online. The American Association for Clinical Chemistry. August

2007.

Laboratory Tests. Lupus Foundation of America. January 2008.

Suggested Reading

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i hope this helps Steve, you teach me so much and I was given an " catch all

Connective Tissue Disease " and it encompasses so many symptoms, it could ce

convulsed with many.

• Flares: Signs and Prevention

• Living with Lupus

• Resources and Support

• Current Research

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Molly's Fund describe more, and thank you Steve for reminding of my butterfly

rashes (Molly.com)

While lupus is not well known or understood, it is far more common than better

known diseases such as leukemia and multiple sclerosis. Without early diagnosis

and treatment, lupus can be severely debilitating or deadly. Here are a few

quick facts about lupus:

• Lupus is a widespread and chronic autoimmune disease that, for unknown

reasons, causes the immune system to attack the body's own tissues and organs,

including the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood, and skin.

• Up to 1.5 million Americans are afflicted by some form of lupus, while more

than 5 million people are known to be affected worldwide.

• Symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, rashes, hair loss, swollen

glands, sensitivity to light, chest, muscle and joint pain, ulcers in the mouth

or nose, and others.

• Typical treatments include steroids, painkillers, and immunosuppressants, as

well as behavior and diet changes. In March 2011, Benlysta became the first

FDA-approved lupus drug treatment in over 50 years.

• Ninety percent of those afflicted are women and 80% are between the ages of

15 and 45.

• People of color are two to three times more likely to develop lupus than

Caucasians.

• If left untreated, lupus is potentially fatal. Lupus can lead to organ damage

and failure- serious conditions that arise include kidney disease, pancreatitis,

pleurisy, vasculitis, pericarditis, and cancer.

• Lupus is one of America’s least recognized major diseases. While Lupus is

widespread, awareness and accurate knowledge about it lags decades behind many

other illnesses.

• Living a full life with lupus is possible, but doing so relies heavily on

early diagnosis and consistent treatment.

• More than 16,000 Americans are diagnosed with lupus each year.

• Lupus is a widespread and chronic autoimmune disease that, for unknown

reasons, causes the immune system to attack the body’s own tissues and organs,

including the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood, and skin.

• There are many treatments for lupus' symptoms, but there is no cure…yet!

Like I say keep a computer program of these diseases of i keep a notebook to

take to my Doctor : Bennie