Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"This excellent work takes the most complicated of facts and readily explains them for the layperson. Lupus is not an easy disease for physician or layperson to fathom. Dr. Wallace's book will finally preclude the lists of questions patients ask."--Robert G. Lahita, M.D., Ph.D., College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
"Wallace, who has the largest lupus clinical practice in the U.S., writes for the many lupus patients who do not understand their disease and are fearful of its debilitating symptoms. This book is highly relevant, since nearly one million people suffer from lupus in the U.S., more than from leukemia, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined."--Choice
"Wallace thoroughly explains the body's immunological processes and the causes, diagnosis, management, manifestations, prognosis, and genetic risks of lupus."--Library Journal
"The Lupus Book is absolutely fabulous!"--John H. Klippel, M.D., Clinical Director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
"Although designed as a guide for lupus patients and their families, this book is of benefit to health professionals as well...Readers gain valuable insight into what causes lupus, who gets the disease, how the body is affected and why, and how various agents such as anti-inflammatory agents and disease-modifying drugs are used in treatment.--Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine
"The book explains a complicated disease in easy-to-understand terms and is suited for the motivated patient wanting a concise, practical overview of their disease....Simplifies a complex and confusing disease for the general reader....It is a reliable and practical guide for the patient who has accepted his/her diagnosis and is ready to fight the disease.--The Journal of Rheumatology
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [247]-249) and index.
About the Author
About the Author - Daniel J. Wallace, M.D., currently heads the largest clinical practice in the country devoted to the treatment of patients with lupus. World renowned for his expertise on the subject, he is Clinical Chief of Rheumatology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA. He is also co-author of the leading textbook on lupus, DuBois' Lupus Erythematosus.