Lupus rash on legs

In healthy people, immune system is able to fight against differentinfections and diseases that affect the body. In patients suffering from lupusthat is not the case. Their immune system can’t resemble healthy and infectedcells, and because of that it starts attacking healthy cells as well. This medicalcondition may be induced by medications, when it’s known as drug-induced lupus.Also, there are systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cutaneous (sometimesalso called discoid) lupus.

Cutaneous lupus is one which affects the skin in most lupuscases and it is known to provoke lupus rash on the legs of many patientssuffering from this condition. Acute cutaneous lupus usually causes rash on thelegs that resembles butterfly, so it’s often called butterfly rash. It’sdifferent than the normal skin color, and in most patients it is red or pink incolor. Also, there are other types of rashes provoked by this condition,including scaly patches on the legs, followed by severe itching, lesions on theskin or eruption of tiny red spots on the legs. Most patients experience rashon the lower part of the legs, and once the rash is healed it leaves no scarson the legs.

Small babies can also suffer from lupus rash, and thecondition is known as neonatal rash. In these patients, rash is seen as circlesand it is usually very scaly.

What Can Cause Lupus Rash on Legs

No one knows exact cause of lupus rash. Doctors know thatwomen are more likely to develop lupus rash than men, and there are also somerecent studies suggesting that lupus is hereditary condition. Estrogen hormonesand some other medications are known as triggers of lupus rash on the legs, butemotional stress can also be found to provoke the same condition in somepatients. Children treated with anti-seizure medications may experiencedrug-induced lupus rash, as well as adult patients using thyroid drugs. Lupusrash lesions can happen to people who are exposed to the sun, because of theabsorption of harmful UV rays.

Treatment Options for Lupus Rash on Legs

Treatment of lupus rash on the legs has to be repeatedseveral times, since the condition seems to reappear after a while. Therapy dependson the symptoms in the specific case, but doctors usually prescribe corticosteroidcreams, if condition is caught early enough. Otherwise, the patients might needcorticosteroid injections, anti-malarial medications or laser treatment forsevere cases of lupus rash on the legs.

Doctors also advise to avoid tanning salons and sun bathing,while on the therapy for lupus rash, because it has been proved that theseactions can worsen the condition. Healthy lifestyle, diet and physical activityare recommended and the use of sunscreen lotions is a necessity for thesepatients.