Swelling in Lower Leg, Feet and Ankles for Lupus

Lupus is one systemic disorder that can attack many organs if uncontrolled effectively. When patients find swelling in lower leg, feet and ankles, it is more likely to reveal kidneys are damaged by Lupus. We call this condition Lupus Nephritis.

What causes swelling in lower legs, feet and ankles for Lupus patients?

Lupus is one autoimmune disorder in which host of antibodies combine antigens and form immune complexes. Then, these immune complexes build up in skin, joint, glomeruli and other regions via blood circulation. When immune complexes deposit in glomeruli, they will cause inflammatory reactions and damage kidney filters. Then, damaged kidney filtering system is unable to remove extra fluid, waste products and toxins successfully. As extra fluid collects in the body, swelling will appear.

In addition to fluid retention, a large amount of protein leakage is another cause. When kidneys are damaged, nutritions especially protein will leak out of the body via urine, resulting in low plasma protein osmotic pressure. This will trigger or worsen lupus patients’ swelling.

The next step to do when lupus patients suffer from swelling

Once Lupus patients find swelling appears in their lower legs, feet or ankles, they should do some test to monitor their kidney function. At present, blood and urine tests are used commonly to detect kidney disorder. To determine the degree of kidney damage, patients are recommended to do GFR test.

How to alleviate swelling for Lupus patients?

In clinic, doctors usually use diuretics, ACEi, ARB, steroids, dandelion root, corn silk or other medicines to reduce fluid retention, according to patients’ swelling. In most cases, these medicines are indeed helpful, but swelling may relapse easily. Therefore, patients need to take more effective treatments to remove immune complexes, protect kidneys and regulate immune system, in order to treat Lupus and its complications from the root.

If you want to get rid of Lupus, Lupus Nephritis or its other complications, you can consult the doctor online to learn more about effective treatments.

Tag: Lupus Nephritis Symptoms Lupus Nephritis Lupus

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