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    Lupus – What Causes This Condition?

    Lupus – What Causes This Condition?

    Posted with permission from lupusrash.org

    Majority of scientists believe that the condition lupus develops as a response to the combination of several factors both outside and inside the body, including environment, genetics, and hormones.


    Many researchers today assume that an environmental agent, like a virus or even a chemical, encountered by a genetically prone person at random, can trigger the condition. Researchers haven’t identified a particular environmental agent yet although it is likely that the hypothesis remains.

    Even though environmental elements that set off lupus and even cause flares are not completely known, ultraviolet light such as UVB and UVA are the most commonly cited ones, as well as infections such as the effects of Epstein-Barr virus, as well as silica dust exposure in industrial and agricultural settings.

    Other common examples of possible triggers in the environment include the following:

    Sulfa drugs that increase a person’s sensitivity to the sun

    Ultraviolet rays from fluorescent light bulbs and sun

    Penicillin or similar antibiotic drugs

    Sun-sensitizing tetracycline drugs

    Colds, viral illnesses, or infection


    Emotional stress like illness, divorce, death in the family, or any other complications in life

    Other things that can cause body stress like physical harm, surgery, pregnancy, giving birth, or injury


    Researchers identified over 50 genes that can be associated with lupus. The said genes are more often seen in patients who have lupus than people not suffering from the disease. Although the majority of the genes are not shown to be direct causes of lupus, it is believed that they can contribute to the condition.

    In many cases, genes aren’t enough. It’s evident with the twins who were raised in the same environment and had the same inherited features, but only one suffered from lupus. Even if one of the twins has lupus, there’s a huge possibility that the other one would get the disease. For identical twins, the percentage is 30% while for fraternal twins, it’s 5 to 10 percent chance.

    Lupus may develop in those who have no family history. However, there are some autoimmune diseases in several family members. Particular ethnic groups have also greater risk of developing lupus that might be related to the genes they have in common.


    Hormones are the messengers of the body. They regulate many functions of the body. Since 9 of each 10 lupus occurrences, researchers have looked at the relationship between lupus and estrogen.

    While both men and women produce estrogen, the production is much higher in females. A lot of women have more symptoms of lupus before menstrual periods or during the pregnancy period when the production of estrogen is high.

    It may show that estrogen regulates the lupus severity. But, there’s no causal effect proven between estrogen or some hormones and lupus. Studies about women with lupus take estrogen in either post-menopausal therapy or birth control pills have shown no increase in particular disease activity. These days, researchers focus on the differences between women and men, beyond the levels of hormones that may account for the reason women are prone to lupus and some autoimmune diseases.

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    Breast Augmentation with Medicare

    Both breast lift and breast augmentation are surgical procedures. However, the point of difference lies in the fact that breast lift is done for an overall re-shaping and lifting of the breast, while breast augmentation involves the use of breast implants for enlarging the breasts.

    Breast augmentation and breast lift are two diverse plastic surgeries. Often, these terms have been confusing women and they simply fail to understand which the best way to go is. Both the procedures, however, are meant for serving different purposes, even though they have the same goal- to enhance the overall appearance of the breast.

    Breast lift surgeries are meant for improving the overall position and shape of the breast, thereby making them appear youthful. Although it is a surgery, in this case, the incision will involve the removal of excess skin that has been hanging loose, thus resulting in the sagging or drooping of the breasts. Along with excision of skin, the nipples can also be positioned accordingly to make the breasts appear firmer, uplifted and younger.

    The so-called short-scar vertical breast lift is a relatively new method of breast lift surgery in the world today. This incision resembles a lollipop and goes around the areola and then vertically downwards. Only a skilled and efficient cosmetic breast surgeon can ensure that this incision is made carefully so that it is adequately hidden.

    Breast implants, on the other hand, involve the process of enlarging the size of the breast by inserting artificial breast implants in each of the breasts, silicone breast implants are the most popular. Breast implants can add volume to breasts and can make them firmer, younger and fuller.

    Breast augmentation surgery, or breast implants as it is commonly known, can be more or less expensive than breast lifts, the cost of the implant may be high and the procedure itself may incorporate a breast lift as part of the surgery. Straight forward breast augmentation has usually a shorter recovery period than breast lifts. The cost of this surgery can vary from state to state, country to country.

    Although there are many differences in the technicalities of breast enlargement and breast lift surgeries, both these procedures complement each other in many ways. In some of the cases, your cosmetic plastic surgeon might recommend both the procedures for you. These cases are best determined by the surgeons but it is important to involve your opinion too.

    When you are going for any type of breast surgery, whether it is an implant or a breast lift, you must consider a qualified board plastic surgeon that has specialized in this field. Breast implant surgeries are not just very easy; they can be some of the most complicated procedures than you can actually imagine. However, as there are often more than just the cosmetic reasons for breast augmentation or breast lift, surgeons give importance to all the factors that would drive a woman to go for this surgery.