 | What is lupus?
| What are the symptoms of lupus?
| What are the different forms of lupus?
| Who gets lupus?
| What causes lupus?
| How is lupus diagnosed?
| How is lupus treated? | |
| Lupus is a widespread and chronic (lifelong) autoimmune disease that, for
unknown reasons, causes the immune system to attack the body's own tissue
and organs, including the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood, or
skin.
| The immune system normally protects the body against viruses, bacteria,
and other foreign materials. In an autoimmune disease like lupus, the immune
system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances
and its own cells and tissue. The immune system then makes antibodies
directed against "self." | |
| Symptoms of lupus often mimic other less serious illnesses.
| Symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening.
| Lupus can go into periods where symptoms are not present, called
remission.
| Although lupus can affect any part of the body, most people experience
symptoms in only a few organs. | |
The following lists the most common symptoms of lupus and the percentage of
lupus patients who experience them.
Symptom Percentage of Cases
|
Achy joints (arthralgia) |
95% |
|
Frequent fevers of more than 100 degrees F. |
90% |
|
Arthritis (swollen joints) |
90% |
|
Prolonged or extreme fatigue |
81% |
|
Skin rashes |
74% |
|
Anemia |
71% |
|
Kidney involvement |
50% |
|
Pain in the chest on deep breathing (pleurisy) |
45% |
|
Butterfly-shaped rash across the cheek and nose |
42% |
|
Sun or light sensitivity (photosensitivity) |
30% |
|
Hair loss |
27% |
|
Abnormal blood clotting problems |
20% |
|
Raynaud's phenomenon (fingers turning white and/or blue in the cold) |
17% |
|
Seizures |
15% |
|
Mouth or nose ulcers |
12% |
What are the different forms of lupus?
There are several forms of lupus: discoid, systemic, drug-induced, and overlap
syndrome or mixed connective tissue disease.
| Discoid (cutaneous) lupus is always limited to the skin and is identified
by a rash that may appear on the face, neck and scalp. Discoid lupus
accounts for approximately 10% of all cases.
| Systemic lupus is usually more severe than discoid lupus, and can affect
the skin, joints, and almost any organ or system of the body, including the
lungs, kidneys, heart or brain. Approximately 70% of lupus cases are
systemic. In about half of these cases, a major organ will be affected.
| Drug-induced lupus occurs after the use of certain prescribed drugs. The
symptoms of drug-induced lupus are similar to systemic lupus. The drugs most
commonly connected with drug-induced lupus are hydralazine (used to treat
high blood pressure or hypertension) and procainamide (used to treat
irregular heart rhythms). The percentage of individuals using these drugs
who develop drug-induced lupus is extremely small, and the symptoms usually
fade when the medications are discontinued. Drug-induced lupus
| In approximately 10% of all lupus cases, individuals will have symptoms
and signs of more than one connective tissue disease, including lupus. A
physician may use the term "overlap syndrome" or "mixed
connective tissue disease" to describe the illness. | |
Who gets lupus?
It is difficult to determine an exact number of lupus cases, and estimates vary
widely.
| Based on the results of several nationwide telephone surveys, the Lupus
Foundation of America estimates that approximately 1,400,000 Americans have
a form of the disease.
| Despite the fact that lupus can affect men and women of all ages, lupus
occurs 10 to 15 times more frequently among adult females than adult males.
| Lupus develops most often between ages 15 and 44.
| Lupus is two to three times more common among African Americans,
Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans.
| Only 10 percent of people with lupus will have a close relative (parent or
sibling) who already has lupus or may develop lupus.
| Only about 5 percent of the children born to individuals with lupus will
develop the illness. | |
| Lupus is NOT infectious, rare, or cancerous.
| Researchers do not know what causes lupus.
| While scientists believe there is a genetic predisposition to the disease,
it is known that environmental factors also play a role in triggering the
disease.
| Some of the factors that may trigger lupus include infections,
antibiotics, ultraviolet light, extreme stress, certain drugs, and hormones.
| Hormonal factors may explain why lupus occurs more frequently in females
than in males. | |
Because many lupus symptoms mimic other illnesses, are sometimes vague, and may come and go, lupus can be difficult to diagnose.
Diagnosis is usually made by a careful review of:
| a person's entire medical history,
| physical examination, coupled with
| an analysis of the results obtained in routine laboratory tests and some
specialized tests related to immune status. | |
Currently, there is no single laboratory test that can determine whether a person has lupus or not. It may take months or even years for doctors to piece together evolving symptoms and accurately diagnose lupus.
How is lupus treated?For the vast majority of people with lupus, effective treatment can minimize symptoms, reduce inflammation, and maintain normal bodily functions.
| Treatment approaches are based on the specific needs and symptoms of each
person.
| Because the characteristics and course of lupus may vary significantly
among individuals, it is important to emphasize that a thorough medical
evaluation and ongoing medical supervision are essential to ensure proper
diagnosis and treatment.
| Medications are often prescribed for people with lupus, depending on which
organs are involved, and the severity of involvement.
| Commonly prescribed medications include
|
|
Increased professional awareness and improved diagnostic techniques and evaluation methods are contributing to the early diagnosis and treatment of lupus. With current methods of therapy 80-90% of people with lupus can look forward to a normal lifespan.