What is Lupus?

Definition -

<>   Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in different parts of the body.

<>   The immune system, which usually fights off viruses and bacteria, loses the ability to tell the difference between these "foreign invaders" and your own cells and tissues.  For some reason (the exact cause of lupus is still not known) your immune system not only fights off these forge in invaders, but also causes inflammation, pain, and injury to your own healthy tissues.

<>   Lupus can be hard to diagnose, and can range from mild to life-threatening.  However, with treatment, 80%-90% of people with non-organ-threatening lupus can look forward to a normal life span.

<>   Lupus is not rare.  It is not AIDS or cancer and you cannot catch lupus from someone else.

<>   The type of doctor who treats lupus is a Rheumatologist.

Types of Lupus - There are three types of lupus:

<>   Cutaneous (Discoid) - This type of lupus affects only the skin and causes a rash.  Rashes may be anywhere, but are usually on the face, neck, and scalp.  The rashes may be red, scaly, and sometimes itch.  The doctor may take a biopsy (sample) of the rash to see if it is lupus.  This type of lupus does not affect any of the internal body organs.  Tests like the antinuclear antibody test (ANA) are usually negative or low positive.  About 1 out of 10 patients with cutaneous lupus will develop systemic lupus.  There is no way to tell if a person with cutaneous lupus will develop systemic lupus, and no one knows how to prevent it.

<>   Systemic - Systemic lupus is usually more serious than cutaneous lupus and can affect a person anywhere in the body, including the kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood, and/or skin.  Generally, no two people will have the same symptoms.  The disease can follow an irregular pattern of remission (times when symptoms disappear) and flare (times when the disease is more active).

<>   Drug-Induced - This type of lupus occurs after a person takes certain types of medicines, the most common being Hydralazine and Procainamide.  The symptoms are similar to systemic lupus but usually disappear when the person stops taking the medicine.  Usually the symptoms will be gone within six months.  However, the antinuclear antibody test (ANA) may stay positive for years.

Causes of Lupus - Researchers do not know what causes lupus.  Scientists believe that there is a genetic predisposition to the disease (you are born with the genes) and that environmental factors "trigger" the symptoms.  Some of the environmental factors can include:

   > Infections            > certain medicines            > Ultraviolet light            > Hormones

Diagnosis - Lupus can be hard to diagnose.  The doctor must look at the patient's whole medical history, including lab tests.  There is no one single test that can tell if a person has lupus.

Treatment - There is no cure for lupus, and because the disease is so different for each person, treatments and medicines are based on the symptoms and needs of each individual.

It is very important to keep taking medicines as prescribed and to tell the doctor if any new symptoms appear.

Information supplied by the LUPUS Foundation of America