Lupus is a painful disease characterized by the body’s immune system attacking its own organs and tissues. This is called an autoimmune condition.
The inflammation that comes with lupus can affect the following systems in the body:
- kidneys
- joints
- brain
- lungs
- heart
- blood cells
- skin
How Common: 1.5 million Americans suffer from lupus, and more than 5 million worldwide according to The Lupus Foundation of America. It is most often seen in women of childbearing age; however, men, teenagers, and children can get it as well. 90% of people living with the disease are women, and most who are diagnosed develop the disease between the ages of 15 and 44. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that there is an incidence of 16,000 new cases per year.
How Serious: Because lupus can mimic other medical illnesses, it can be difficult to diagnose. A facial rash favoring the wings of a butterfly across both cheeks is the most distinctive sign of lupus. It occurs in many people but not all.
People can also experience symptoms like pain, hair loss, cognitive issues, fatigue, and physical disabilities. Still others develop painful joints, cardiovascular disease, and strokes. For some people, symptoms may not be obvious.
Why: As an autoimmune disease, lupus develops when the immune system attacks healthy parts of your body. Lupus develops from modifiers in your environment and genetics. Some people are born with certain risk factors. There seems to be an inherited tendency that may develop when triggered by something in the environment. These triggers can be drugs, sunlight, or infection.
Treatments help to control symptoms, but there is no cure. The cause of most cases of lupus is unknown. Treatments include NSAIDS, which treat swelling, fever, inflammation, and pain. They are available over the counter but a stronger version can be obtained as a prescription. Antimalarial drugs are also prescribed because they affect the immune symptoms and can reduce the number of flare-ups. Corticosteroids like prednisone help with lupus inflammation. You often see steroid use in disease control of illnesses affecting the brain and kidneys. An immunosuppressant drug that represses the immune system may be given in serious cases of lupus. Biologics can also be given for lupus symptoms. Until there is a cure, lupus remains a disturbing and life-changing disease.
