Lupus – Let’s Get Educated

Lupus, let’s get educated on the disease.

Have you ever heard of the autoimmune disorder? The answer I get is compelling, because I come across many who have never heard about the chronic disease that affects millions each day.

Nearly 1.5 million Americans suffer from Lupus. Out of those 1.5 million, 90% of Lupus sufferers are women, particularly women of color.

Every half-hour someone is diagnosed with Lupus and women of color are 2-3 times more likely to develop the disease. Let’s get educated today.

A Brief History
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys.

However, the disease can affect any major organ inside the body. With Lupus, something goes wrong with the immune system, which is part of the body that helps fight infections like bacteria, viruses, and germs.

Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues (“auto” means “self”) and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue.

These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.

The two most common types of Lupus are, Systemic Lupus and Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (Discoid).

The most common of the two, systemic, involves more serious complications of major organs.

Cutaneous, refers to the skin and only limited to the skin.

Although there are many types of rashes and sores caused by cutaneous, the most common rash is raised, scaly and red, but not itchy.

It is commonly known as a discoid rash, because the areas of rash are shaped like disks, or circles.

Another common example of cutaneous lupus is a rash over the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose, known as the butterfly rash.

Let’s Get Educated : What can cause Lupus?

Genes – No gene or group of genes has been proven to cause lupus. Lupus does, however, appear in certain families, and when one of two identical twins has lupus, there is an increased chance that the other twin will also develop the disease.
Ethnic groups (Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Island descent) are at a higher risk of developing the disease.

Environment
While a person’s genes may increase the chance that he or she will develop lupus, it takes some kind of environmental trigger to set off the illness or to bring on a flare. stress, emotional stress from a divorce, death in the family, of other life complications
-viral illnesses
-anything that causes stress the body
-an infection
ultraviolet rays from the sun and/or bulbs

Hard To Diagnose

Lupus is extremely hard to diagnose. It is hard to diagnose because symptoms usually come and go, and may mimic those of other diseases. Early detection and treatment is the key to a better health outcome and can usually lessen the progression and severity of the disease.

Other Facts

• It is not contagious, not even through sexual contact. You cannot “catch” lupus from someone or “give” lupus to someone.
• It is not like or related to cancer. Cancer is a condition of malignant, abnormal tissues that grow rapidly and spread into surrounding tissues.
• It is not like or related to HIV (Human Immune Deficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). In HIV or AIDS the immune system is underactive; in lupus, the immune system is overactive.
• It is believed that 5 million people throughout the world have a form of lupus.
• It strikes mostly women of childbearing age (15-44). However, men, children, and teenagers develop lupus, too.
• Women of color are 2-3 times more likely to develop the disease.
• People of all races and ethnic groups can develop the disease

It is also a disease of flares (the symptoms worsen and you feel ill) and remissions (the symptoms improve and you feel better). The chronic illness can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be treated by a doctor. With good medical care, most people with lupus can lead a full life.

To more educated about Lupus, and the fight against it, please visit The Lupus Foundation of America