What is lupus?

Lupus is a long-lasting autoimmune disease that the immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks the normal tissue for unknown reasons.  The attacks cause inflammation in the body and brings about symptoms.

 What does autoimmune mean?

This is immune activity directed against the body.  Your immune system fights the body itself, auto meaning self.  With Autoimmune disease the immune system destroys your own body’s tissues in error thinking it is the enemy.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation means setting on fire.  It is a protective process in our bodies that use when tissues are injured.  The inflammation helps to eliminate a foreign body or organism including viruses and bacteria that will prevent further injury.  Many signs of inflammation are the following: swelling, redness, pain and warmth.  If the signs of inflammation last over a certain time period as they can with Lupus, damage to tissue can occur and normal function is impaired.  Considering the information this is why Lupus is aimed at reducing the inflammation.

What happens in autoimmune diseases like lupus?

The Immune system some think of as a security system for the body, which is designed to keep intruders and foreign matters out defending and protecting the body.  The body contains several different types of cells, some function like a security system constantly patrolling looking for foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.  When one is spotted, they come into action eliminating the intruder.  With Lupus, for some reason the immune system loses the ability to differentiate between what is foreign and what is normal tissue and cells.  Therefore the security guards make a mistake and identify the wrong cell which is normal in fact instead of foreign which you can call antigens and by doing so it gets eliminated.  Part of their response is to bring antibodies to the site that would attach to the antigen.  Meaning anything that the immune system recognizes as a non-self or foreign body and form immune complexes.  These immune complexes help to set in motion a series of symptoms of inflammation at the site.  The immune complexes then travel through ones blood and lodge itself into distant tissues causing inflammation at that spot.

Where did the name come from?

Lupus means wolf in Latin.  This term has been associated with the disease since the 10^th century.  Redness is another word for Erythematosus it was given this name to describe the lesions of the skin that were sore, which are red and some might think looked like the bite of a wolf.  Today not everyone with Lupus has rashes or skin lesions, and those who do would suggest they resemble the bite of a wolf.

 Who gets lupus?

Anyone can develop Lupus at any age or sex.  Research shows nine out of ten people with Lupus are Women.  During childbearing years ranging from 15-44 Lupus can strike women 10-15 times more than men.

All races can have Lupus, But African American women have a three times higher incidence and mortality rate then Caucasian women do.  Most women tend to develop the disease at a younger age and have more serious complications.  Hispanic, Asian and the Native American women are more likely to have Lupus.

Research is focused upon Lupus and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) has developed a strategic plan for reducing health disparities

What are the symptoms of Lupus?

Lupus can have varying degrees of symptoms that depend on the individual case involved and the form of lupus present.  People that have lupus do not experience all symptoms.  The list is to educate people on the presence of lupus in an undiagnosed person.

·        Fever over 100 degrees

·        Fatigue that is prolonged

·        Rash on the skin

·        Deep breathing and pain in the chest

·        Anemia

·        Protein found in urine

·        UV sensitivity

·        Hair loss

·        Problems with clotting of blood

·        Cold fingers where they turn blue and white

·        Seizures

·        Swollen and or achy joints