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The symptoms are puzzling, intermittent, and frequently seem unrelated: mysterious rashes, sore joints, fatigue, headaches. It can take years to properly diagnose, often leaving its victims suffering not only from the disease, but from the uncertainty about whether they have the disease and from the not-insignificant problem of finding a physician to treat them. The disease is lupus, which, simply put, is what happens to the body when it becomes allergic to itself. It is quite widespread and it is highly deadly, claiming the lives of thousands of patients yearly.
Now patients and their families can turn to The Lupus Book, a clear, reassuring guide that explains virtually every aspect of the disease. Written by Daniel J. Wallace, M.D., one of the world's leading experts on the subject, The Lupus Book is packed with useful, easy-to-understand information and practical guidance for the sufferer. Here the reader will discover clear descriptions of the symptoms that most commonly afflict victims of lupus, a helpful survey of all aspects of diagnosis--from why the disease is so difficult to recognize to the latest, most innovative tests--and background information on the cause of the disease, which researchers now believe is genetic in origin. Wallace shows how lupus may affect different organ systems in the body, including the brain, heart, and lungs; he offers well-informed advice on how patients can work with their doctors to take an active role in fighting the disease through exercise, diet, and medication; and perhaps most important, he answers the questions he is most often asked by his patients, including queries on prevention, cure, sun exposure, pregnancy, and many other concerns. Throughout the book, Wallace reveals a talent for communicating difficult concepts to the general reader as he illustrates his discussion with numerous anecdotes culled from his years of clinical experience (he has treated over one thousand lupus patients).
Nearly one million people suffer from lupus in the United States alone. More common than leukemia, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined, lupus is a pervasive and little- understood condition. With The Lupus Book in hand, lupus sufferers as well as their families, friends, and physicians have a reliable guide that will answer their questions and help them to better manage their day-to-day fight against this debilitating disease.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Foreword(p. vii)
• Preface to the Revised and Expanded Edition(p. ix)
• Preface to the First Edition(p. xi)
• Part I Introduction and Definitions
• 1. Why Write a Book on Lupus?(p. 3)
• 2. What Is Lupus?(p. 5)
• 3. The History of Lupus(p. 9)
• 4. Who Gets Lupus?(p. 11)
• Part II Inflammation and Immunity
• 5. The Body's Protection Plan(p. 17)
• 6. The Enemy Is Our Cells(p. 25)
• Part III What Causes Lupus?
• 7. The Genetic Connection(p. 37)
• 8. Environmental Villains(p. 41)
• 9. Drugs That May Cause Lupus or Produce Flareups(p. 46)
• Part IV Where and How Can the Body Be Affected by Lupus?
• 10. History, Symptoms, and Signs(p. 55)
• 11. Must We Draw Blood?(p. 61)
• 12. Reactions of the Skin: Rashes and Discoid Lupus(p. 65)
• 13. Why the Aches? Arthritis, Muscles, and Bone(p. 74)
• 14. Pants and Pulses: The Lungs and Heart(p. 81)
• 15. Heady Connections: The Nervous System and Behavioral Changes(p. 99)
• 16. The Head, Neck, and Sjogren's Syndrome(p. 116)
• 17. What about Hormones?(p. 122)
• 18. The Impact of Lupus upon the GI Tract and Liver(p. 128)
• 19. Lupus in the Kidney and Urinary Tract(p. 139)
• 20. The Blood and Lymphatic Systems(p. 147)
• 21. Why Do Blood Clots Develop?(p. 154)
• 22. Lupus Through the Ages: Lupus in Children and the Elderly(p. 160)
• 23. Is It Really Lupus?(p. 165)
• Part V The Management of Lupus Erythematosus
• 24. How to Treat Lupus with Physical Measures(p. 177)
• 25. You Can Help Conquer Lupus(p. 188)
• 26. Taming Inflammation: Anti-inflammatory Therapies(p. 200)
• 27. Big Guns and Magic Bullets: Disease-Modifying Drugs(p. 207)
• 28. Other Options: Treatments Occasionally Used to Manage Lupus(p. 222)
• 29. Fighting Infections, Allergies, and Osteoporosis(p. 229)
• 30. Can a Woman with Lupus Have a Baby?(p. 236)
• 31. What's the Prognosis?(p. 245)
• 32. Lupus in 2015: A Medical Odyssey(p. 249)
• Glossary(p. 253)
• Appendix Lupus Resource Materials(p. 259)
• Index(p. 263)

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Nearly one million people in the United States suffer from lupus erythematosus, which develops when the body becomes allergic to itself. Because of the difficulty of diagnosing lupus, several years may elapse before an accurate diagnosis is made, resulting in mental anguish and damage to vital organs. By increasing public awareness of this disease, Wallace, a world authority on lupus, hopes to effect earlier diagnosis. In a lay companion to the renowned Dubois' Lupus Erythematosus (Williams & Wilkins, 1992. 4th ed.), which he coauthored, Wallace thoroughly explains the body's immunological processes and the causes, diagnosis, management, manifestations, prognosis, and genetic risks of lupus. Containing detailed illustrations and charts similar to those found in medical texts, The Lupus Book is written for allied health professionals as well as patients at the college reading level. Several other current books offer simpler explanations and more easily understood charts while placing a greater emphasis on coping skills; Mark Horowitz's Coping with Lupus (Penguin, 1994) and Sheldon Blau's Living with Lupus (LJ 11/1/93) are among the best. Wallace's book is recommended for those who require a detailed explanation of the disease.‘Mary Prottsman, Medical Lib., Enterprise, Ala. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Continuing with his quest for physical and emotional health, Deepak Chopra (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind) zeroes in on common intestinal disorders in Perfect Digestion: The Key to Balanced Living, due in October from Harmony. Digestion plays a central role in our lives, says Chopra, turning to Ayurveda, the traditional Indian science of health, for greater understanding of the mind-body connection. Explaining how the gastrointestinal tract works when it's healthy, he offers suggestions for restoring it to health when ideal functioning is lost through imbalance or disease. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternate selections. ($15 128p ISBN 0-517-79975-8) An autoimmune disorder that often defies diagnosis and to date has defied a cure is closely considered in Dr. Daniel J. Wallace's The Lupus Book, an October title from Oxford University Press. Describing the mechanism of the disease and putting therapies into perspective, Wallace, an L.A.-based specialist in lupus, blends clinical information with practical advice. ($25 256p ISBN 0-19-508443-8) In The Race Is Run One Step at a Time: Every Woman's Guide to Taking Charge of Breast Cancer, a September title from the Summit Group, Nancy Brinker addresses the reader in personal terms. Having lost her sister to breast cancer and waged her own successful battle with the disease, she describes the devastating course of her sister's disease and discusses the importance of early detection, care and preventative measures. This revision is updated from a 1990 edition to incorporate information about the latest technologies and statistics. ($13.95 paper, 224p ISBN 1-56530-182-X) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

CHOICE Review

Wallace, who has the largest lupus clinical practice in the US, writes for the many lupus patients who do not understand their disease and are fearful of its debilitating symptoms. Five sections offer an introduction and definitions, inflammation and immunity, what causes lupus, where and how can the body be affected by lupus, and the management of lupus erythematosus. The Lupus Book can be used as a companion to the much larger comprehensive work Dubois' Lupus Erythematosus (1993) (which Wallace coedited with Bevra H. Hahn), whose organization and structure this new book follows. The most striking feature, when compared to similar books, is its description of lupus in lay terms. Here, the etiology of the disease, its mechanistic effects on various body organs, its most common symptoms, and its treatments are discussed so that patients and their families, including health care providers, have a current and detailed understanding. Wallace's real-life case studies are based on his experience of having treated more than a thousand lupus patients. This book is highly relevant, since nearly one million people suffer from lupus in the US, more than from leukemia, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined. Readers will appreciate the lists of reference materials in the appendix. All levels. H. S. Pitkow Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Daniel Wallace was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Emory University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, studying English and philosophy. He is best known as the author of the 1998 novel, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions. This novel became the basis for Tim Burton's film, Big Fish.

Wallace currently is a professor and lecturer in the English Department at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

(Bowker Author Biography)