Lupus in children and adolescents

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic auntoimmune disease, a type of pathology that is caused by a disorder in our defense system, in such a way that antibodies attack tissues and organs. organs. It affects more women, Africans and Asians and has a prevalence of between 4 and 250 cases per 100.0

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic auntoimmune disease, a type of pathology that is caused by a disorder in our defense system, in such a way that antibodies attack tissues and organs. organs.

It affects more women, Africans and Asians and has a prevalence of between 4 and 250 cases per 100.00 inhabitants. In addition, the children of patients with lupus have a 10% more chance of suffering from it.

Lupus in children and young people

Lupus is not usually considered a childhood-age illness, especially in under 5 years, but in fact, it is more children and adolescents than is actually believed.

The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that up to 10,000 children suffer from this disease in the United States, nearly 3,000 in Argentina and, in figures from the Institut Ferran de Reumatologia de Barcelona (IFR), 1,000 cases diagnosed in Spain. It has a higher incidence than childhood leukemia.

Symptoms of lupus in children

Currently the origin of this disease is unknown and even in many cases it is confused with other ailments such as multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Children with lupus have very different symptoms, to the extent that there are no two cases. The most frequent symptoms are muscle and joint pain and extreme fatigue, according to the Spanish Lupus Federation (FELUPUS). Other common signs are kidney problems, stomach pains, sores in the mouth, erythema on the cheeks and loss of weight and hair.

Although this disease is chronic, there are periods of remission in which sick children will not present any symptoms. Care should be taken when crises or relapses produ occur, the reactivation of the pathology, since it can affect various organs and requires being controlled by a specialist.Treatment of lupus in children

The

treatment in children and adolescents is very similar to that of adults. The IFR experts advise, first of all, to avoid factors that favor the appearance of a crisis, such as salt-rich diets or sun exposure. The

corticoids are the drugs used to counteract the lupus crisis, although if there is damage to the kidneys, immunosuppressants are also supplied. Chronic and irregular diseases such as lupus are difficult for parents of sick children to handle. For this reason, it is important to try to explain to the children the importance of maintaining medication and

medical follow-up , always with a lot of patience, affection and understanding.

Patricia García

. GuiaInfantil.com