camille65 -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (12/9/2008 5:39:36 PM)
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Most go by a blood test, ANA test but there is not a single definitive test for it. Usually if a persons ANA level is at a particular and constant level.. Lupus 'may' be the cause. I'm told that I have Lupus and it took nearly 15 years for that diagnosis. Personally I doubt you have Lupus especially since hives are your only problem. http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates /new_aboutintroduction.aspx?articleid=71&zoneid=9s Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Normally the body's immune system makes proteins called antibodies, to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens. In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself. These antibodies -- called "auto-antibodies" (auto means 'self') -- cause inflammation, pain and damage in various parts of the body. Inflammation is considered the primary feature of lupus. Inflammation, which in Latin means "set on fire," is characterized by pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, either on the inside or on the outside of the body (or both).
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