Lupus Disease

Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects every part of the body and is chronic. The body attacks itself and is unable to fight off germs and bacteria correctly. According to the Lupus Foundation, at least 1.5 million Americans have lupus and more than 16,000 new cases show up each year.

Facts

• Lupus cannot be "caught" from someone else. It is autoimmune, but is not related to any type of HIV or AIDS. Anyone can get lupus; children, men, women, all races, all ethnicities. However, African American women are two to three times more likely to get lupus. The reasons for that are unknown. More women between ages 15 to 44 (considered child- bearing age) are also more likley to develop lupus.

Flares

• Lupus is a condition characterized by "flares," where the symptoms that are felt get stronger, last longer and are more intense than at other times. There can be periods of remission between these flares and they vary in length.

Symptoms

• According to the Mayo Clinic, general lupus signs and symptoms will include fever, weight changes (either gain or loss), fatigue, and joint stiffness and pain. There can be a malar rash (butterfly looking rash on the face across the cheeks) and hair loss. The skin can worsen in appearance with exposure to sun and have lesions. Some can experience Raynauld's phenomenon (cold/blue toes and fingers during stress), easy bruising and dry eyes. Also possible are symptoms of chest pain, mouth sores, memory loss, anxiety and depression.

Types

• While all types of lupus are similar, there are four types according to the Mayo Clinic. There is systemic lupus erythematosus that can affect the entire body. This is the type that most refer to when they say lupus. There is discoid lupus erythematosus that affects only the skin. Drug-induced lupus erythematosus affects the body only when under the effects of certain medications and goes away once the medication is completed. Neonatal lupus only affects newborns and is rare. Typically this type will only last for under a year.

Treatment

• The Mayo Clinic shows that typical treatments of lupus include medications such as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), antimalarials and corticosteroids. Many will require much more aggressive treatments if their lupus proves to be more serious (affecting kidneys, seizure inducing or affecting the central nervous system). These treatments can be higher-dosed corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs like Cytoxan. Stem cell transplants and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) are in clinical trials to test their use in fighting lupus.