Lupus

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease, which causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints and kidneys. It can also affect the blood. The immune system normally protects the body against viruses, bacteria and other foreign invaders. In autoimmune diseases like lupus, the immune system loses the ability to distinguish between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against the body itself.

Lupus is NOT infectious, rare or cancerous.

Although the cause of lupus is unknown, scientists suspect that individuals are genetically predisposed to lupus, and also know that environmental factors such as infections, antibiotics, ultraviolet light, extreme stress and certain drugs play an important role in triggering lupus.

Lupus attacked adult women 10 to 15 times more frequently than adult men.

Lupus is more prevalent in African Americans, Hispanics and Asians. African American women are three times more likely to get lupus than Caucasian women. Both African American and Hispanic / Latin tend to develop lupus at a young age and have more symptoms at diagnosis (including kidney problems).

Only 10% of people with lupus will have a close relative (parent or sibling) who already have or may develop lupus. Only about 5% of children born to individuals with lupus will develop the disease.

Sometimes people with lupus experience "flare." This happens when some of the symptoms appear and disappear in the short term. Even if you take medicine for lupus, you may find that there are times when symptoms get worse. Learning to recognize that a flare is coming can help you take steps to overcome them. Many people feel very tired or in pain, rash, fever, abdominal discomfort, headache, or dizziness before the flare ....

Lupus can be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms come and go and mimic those of many other diseases. Some symptoms of lupus can be transient, such as joint and muscle pain, fatigue, rash caused or exacerbated by sunlight, low grade fever, hair loss, pleurisy, appetite loss, sores in the nose or mouth or painful sensitivity of the finger in an environment that cool.

Symptoms of lupus can range from mild to life threatening and thousands of Americans die each year from complications of lupus.

With optimal care, most women with lupus can have a healthy baby without endangering their own health.

This type of lupus

There are four types of lupus, although similar to each type of lupus has a different prognosis and treatment.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a type of lupus is the most numerous and the most severe or serious type of lupus among others. SLE can affect almost any body part. System of the body most frequently involved are the skin, joints, lungs, kidneys and blood. When people talk about lupus, they are usually referring to systemic lupus erythematosus.

Discoid lupus erythematosus only affects the skin. People with lupus also called discoid lupus skin, having a circular rash on the face, neck and scalp. A small number of people with discoid lupus may develop into systemic lupus erythematosus.

Drug-induced lupus erythematosus occurs after a person is taking certain medications. This event only happens to people - certain people who have talent and lupus is triggered by certain drugs in the drink. Drug-induced lupus affects various body systems. Signs and symptoms usually disappear when the patient stops taking medication that causes lupus.

Neonatal lupus is a rare and only occurs in newborns. A mother with certain antibodies associated with autoimmune diseases can be lowered to the fetus. Babies with neonatal lupus may experience a rash at the first weeks after birth. Neonatal lupus can take several months before disappearing.

Risk factor for lupus

The risk factor for lupus are:

Female gender. Women are more likely to get lupus than men.

Age between 15-40 years. Lupus can occur at any age, infants, children - children, adults but more common in ages 15-40 years.

Ras. Blacks, Asian and Hispanic races tend to be affected by lupus.

Sunlight. Sun exposure can trigger lupus in people of skin - certain people. Exposure to ultraviolet rays that cause lupus until now the mechanism is still not known with certainty.

Epstein Barr virus infection. Almost every person ever infected by Epstein-Barr virus with symptoms of fever and sore throat. For reasons that are unclear, recurrent infections Epstein Barr virus can trigger lupus.

Exposed to chemicals. Until now it is difficult to prove exposure to chemicals causes lupus. However, the results of research related people who work with chemicals are at risk of mercury and silica tend to suffer from lupus.