Danger Level: Medium
What is it?
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (or just lupus for short) is a disease that affects most systems of the body, caused by a problem in the body’s immune system.
Who gets it?
Lupus mainly affects young women of child bearing age, but can affect just about anyone. It is more common in African-Americans. 50 people out of 100,000 in the United States have the disease.
What causes it?
Our body’s immune system was originally meant to fight infections. Whenever a virus or germ comes along, it will fight it, using special cells and special molecules called antibodies. In lupus, something goes wrong with the immune system – for reasons unknown, it will use those antibodies to attack the body instead of just intruders.
How does it feel?
If not treated, lupus can be quite a horrible disease. It affects most organs of the body, but the main things it does are:
- Rash: The most common rash in lupus is called a “butterfly rash”. It appears on your face on the nose and cheeks, resembling a butterfly. Another type of rash in lupus is called a “discoid rash” – it’s a more nasty type of rash that appears on the face and scalp, and can leave scars.
- Photosensitivity: Lupus patients are sensitive to the sun – when they are exposed to it, the rash appears.
- Oral ulcers: those are wounds that appear inside the mouth of lupus patients
- Arthritis: Patients with lupus can have inflammation in their joints, causing pain and swelling.
- Serositis: This is another type of inflammation, but inside the body, in the layers covering the heart or the lung.
- Kidney problems: Lupus can damage the kidney, up to a point where patients need dialysis or a kidney transplant.
- Brain problems: Patients can have seizures or psychotic episodes.
- Blood problems: Including anemia (lack of red cells in the blood) or lack of other cells in the blood.
The famous “butterfly rash” in lupus
How is it discovered?
As mentioned above, there are special antibodies in this disease that attack the body. Whenever these antibodies are found in a blood test, combined with some or all of the symptoms described above, a diagnosis of lupus is made.
How is it treated?
There is no treatment for lupus. The only thing that can be done is depress the immune system that’s gone wild, so that the disease won’t progress or interfere with the life of patients.
It is done with drugs called steroids – they are meant to depress the immune system.
Other drugs are used as well, such as pain killers, drugs that usually treat malaria, and other drugs that depress the immune system.
What happens after treatment?
In the first two years of the disease, most patients stay alive. But in 20 years, the number goes down. That’s mainly because of thrombosis (blood clot formation), that is more common in lupus patients in the long run, and can lead to things such as heart attacks.
The Bottom Line: How do I avoid it?
Unfortunately, lupus cannot be avoided in people who are predisposed to it. The only thing you can do is avoid the symptoms of the disease by treating it.
Lupus is a serious disease. In the following movie you can see the stories of 6 people affected by it:
What next?
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