Lupus patients searching “Houston TX lupus doctors near me” should consider Advanced Rheumatology of Houston. Dr. Brionez, the sole rheumatologist, has more than 10 years of experience in diagnosing and treating rheumatologic conditions. These diseases affect the connective tissue in the body, such as joints, ligaments, muscles, and organs.

Rheumatologists study these conditions in order to diagnose and treat them. One condition that Dr. Bironez can diagnose and treat is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or simply lupus. Like other rheumatologic illnesses, lupus is an autoimmune disease. This means the immune system attacks the body’s healthy tissue rather than infections and foreign pathogens.

Advanced Rheumatology of Houston is participating in a research study for lupus named SLE-BRAVE. If you are a lupus patient, then you may qualify for participating in this study. The study aims to find a new treatment option for current and future lupus patients. Participants would help in the discovery of this new treatment.

Dr. Brionez is a great rheumatologist with a passion for her patients. She and her team will work closely with lupus patients in order to give them comfortable and normal lives. Lupus is a complex disease and requires a knowledgable rheumatologist in order to diagnose and treat it.

What does Lupus do?

Lupus affects many portions of the body, but the primary areas are the skin, joints, and organs. Several different types of rashes can appear that all look very different from each other. Lupus patients are known to develop arthritis. This will cause tenderness and soreness in joints such as the hands, feet, and legs. Finally, organs such as the brain, kidneys, heart, and lungs are affected.

Each case of lupus is different, but more severe cases are associated with effects in the brain and kidneys. Neurologic conditions appear, such as seizures and strokes. These symptoms are severe and could potentially lead to a person’s death. The kidneys may develop kidney disease due to the potential renal inflammation that can occur.

In general, lupus is not a minor disease. It should be handled with great care from a professional. Dr. Brionez will determine how severe your lupus is using tests and examining symptoms. When living with lupus, patients are recommended to change a few things about their lifestyle. Most importantly, lupus increases the chance of heart disease and kidney disease.

So, patients should exercise regularly and eat healthily. These actions will reduce the chance of heart disease. If you smoke, then you should quit that as well. Exercise will also reduce soreness in joints. There is not a lot to prevent kidney disease, but it is important to watch out for symptoms.

• High blood pressure
• swollen feet and hands
• Puffiness around the eyes
• Urination changes (blood, frequent, pain)

The Difficulty of Diagnosing Lupus

Lupus has several symptoms that are not exclusive to the disease. Symptoms such as hair loss, fatigue, fever, and stomach pain are common in many other diseases. So, lupus requires a series of tests to identify. The most important test for a lupus patient is an ANA test. This test will show the presence of antinuclear antibodies in the body. These antibodies are what causes the immune system to attack healthy tissues.

Dr. Brionez will examine the symptoms of the patient closely in order to decide if a test is necessary. Below, you can find a few symptoms of lupus.

• Rashes
• Mouth or nose sores
• Arthritis
• Chest pains with deep breathing
• Poor circulation in hands or feet
• Blood clots

These symptoms and many others will be examined closely. If lupus patients’ tests come back positive, then the doctor will diagnose them with lupus. If there are no antibodies present, then the doctor will help find another cause of the symptoms.

Medication for Lupus

Unfortunately, lupus is not curable. You may have gathered by now that lupus is a very complex disease. Very little is known about its cause or the reason behind its wide range of diversity. However, there are ways of keeping it under control. The aforementioned lifestyle changes will help patients live a comfortable and normal life. The medication also helps significantly.

Most lupus patients are prescribed antimalarial drugs to reduce symptoms such as sores, fatigue, rashes, and arthritis. Flares are also reduced by this medication. More serious cases require corticosteroids in order to suppress the immune system’s attacks. There are other medications for various severity levels, but there is still a lot of patients who are not helped by these treatment options. Fortunately, there are research studies paving the way to new treatment options.

SLE-BRAVE

Advanced Rheumatology of Houston is participating in a research study known as SLE-BRAVE. SLE-BRAVE is testing a new investigational drug alongside lupus therapy. This new treatment option could prove to be successful in many lupus patients. If you have lupus, then you may be able to participate in this study. Patients can find the full list of criteria they must meet on our lupus research study page.

The SLE-BRAVE study lasts 62 weeks or 14 months. During this time, patients will take the investigational drug for a year. Dr. Brionez will then examine the results closely. For those that do not know, research studies often offer free medication, free clinic visits, and travel stipends. If you are interested in helping find a new treatment option for lupus, then visit the study’s page on our site. You can find additional details about the study and see the criteria needed.

Houston TX Lupus Doctors Near Me

If you are searching “Houston TX lupus doctors near me,” then get in touch with Advanced Rheumatology of Houston today. You can reach Dr. Brionez’s clinic by calling (281) 766-7886. Schedule a consultation for your lupus diagnosis. If you do not have lupus, then Dr. Brionez will help you find the cause of the symptoms you are experiencing. Be sure to visit our Houston location page in order to find out where we are located and find additional details on our clinic. So, stop searching “Houston TX lupus doctors near me” and start calling Advanced Rheumatology of Houston.

 

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