Health experts have warned that many Nigerians who are diagnosed and treated for malaria or typhoid more than 10 times in a year may unknowingly be suffering from a far more serious health condition, one that often goes undetected and misdiagnosed.
The physicians cautioned that such frequent treatments without lasting relief could be a sign of lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that mimics other illnesses and is notoriously difficult to detect.
According to the Mayo Clinic, lupus is a disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs.
The inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems, including the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs.
The health website also noted that while some people are genetically predisposed to lupus, it may be triggered by infections, certain medications, or even sunlight.
Although there is no cure, treatments can help control the symptoms.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise, specialists in rheumatology stated that many people suffering from lupus are treated multiple times for malaria and typhoid without realising that their symptoms are indicative of a more complex condition.
The physicians explained that lupus symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and body pain are often mistaken for malaria or typhoid, leading to repeated treatments that don’t address the underlying condition.
They stressed that in Nigeria, where malaria is prevalent, lupus is often overlooked as a possible diagnosis.
A Consultant Rheumatologist at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Hakeem Olaosebikan, pointed out that lupus often presents like malaria with fever, weakness, and body pains.
While noting that many people have been treated for the wrong condition for years, the specialist added, “In Nigeria, if someone treats malaria or typhoid more than 10 times in one year, we have to start thinking beyond infection.”
The doctor explained that lupus can affect multiple organs, including the skin, joints, hair, mouth, throat, kidneys, brain, and eyes, making it a challenging disease to diagnose.
Olaosebikan also noted that some patients might receive blood transfusions for anaemia without knowing that lupus is the underlying cause.
He said the disease can also cause kidney failure, hair loss, and skin rashes, among other symptoms.
Olaosebikan stated, “The symptoms often mimic common illnesses like malaria or typhoid, so many people treat themselves repeatedly, thinking it’s a simple infection. You might treat malaria 10 times a year, even though it is not malaria – it is lupus.
“So, misdiagnosis is common. People think it is something else, especially in places like Nigeria, where malaria is so prevalent. Lupus symptoms include those of malaria or typhoid, which are fever, fatigue, and body pain. But those diseases don’t persist for so long. That’s why it’s referred to as an invisible illness – because it is not easily recognised.”
He urged people who are frequently treated for malaria and typhoid to seek further medical attention if their symptoms persist.
According to him, early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve the quality of life for people living with lupus.
He, however, said the exact cause of lupus is unknown, adding that genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors are believed to contribute to its development.
Olaosebikan added that the disease primarily affects women, with a female-to-male ratio of about 10 to 1.
The physician attributed this to hormonal factors, particularly the presence of oestrogen.
While lupus is not infectious and cannot be passed from one person to another, Olaosebikan revealed that the disease can run in families due to genetic predisposition.
Despite the seriousness of the disease, the rheumatologist lamented that access to diagnosis and treatment remains a major challenge in Nigeria.
He explained that the cost of initial tests and medications could run into millions of naira, noting that many of the newer, more effective drugs are not available locally.
The expert called for increased public awareness and government involvement, especially in subsidising advanced treatment options.
“Government support is crucial, especially in subsidising drugs. Knowing your drugs exist but you can’t afford them – that alone is a mental health burden,” he stated.
Also speaking, a Consultant Dermatologist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Dr Toyosi Ilesanmi, noted that lupus can affect the skin, joints, brain and heart.
She added that it can also affect the kidneys, lungs, and indeed any part of the body.
While urging Nigerians to pay closer attention to unusual or persistent symptoms that resist routine malaria or typhoid treatments, she stressed that massive public awareness and education were necessary to effectively combat lupus.
Ilesanmi said, “It is a very complex disease because it can affect a lot of systems. If it affects the skin, it can give rise to different sorts of rashes, and the person can have skin rashes that are scarring in nature. The person can lose hair and have oral ulcers, recurring joint pains and swellings. The person can have renal failure, swelling in the face and legs, and might also stop producing urine – depending on how advanced the disease is in the renal system.
“If the disease affects the brain, the person can have a stroke or dementia. If it affects the blood – including the white blood cells, the platelets, and the red blood cells – it can reduce the production of these cell lines and cause anaemia, and the person might need to be transfused with blood.
“The person can have leukaemia in which the white blood cell count reduces so much that the patient can have very life-threatening infections.”
She stressed that the media should lead the public sensitisation about the illness, because all Nigerians need to be educated about the health condition.