Lupus (otherwise known as SLE or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) is a disease where the immune system attacks various areas of the body, such as blood cells, and internal organs. This can cause pain and inflammation, as well as damaging the organs affected. It is not a contagious disease.
Symptoms of Lupus include:
- Joint pain and/or swelling
- Problems involving the internal organs – heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, or brain.
- Headaches
- A rash spread across the nose and cheeks
- Tiredness
- Depression
- Extremely high temperatures
- Hair loss
- Abnormal/inflamed blood cells
When a person is suffering from lupus, instead of the immune system creating antibodies to protect the body from viruses, infections, and bacteria, the antibodies attack the individual’s own body tissues. This can result in some of the symptoms listed above. People can die of lupus, because of the effects that lupus has on the internal organs, i.e. kidney failure.
Lupus is difficult to diagnose as it can manifest itself in many different ways, and each person’s symptoms will be individual to him. Lupus can appear very similar to other illnesses, such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Therefore, for a person to be diagnosed with Lupus he will need a full examination of all possibly linked symptoms and a series of different blood tests by a range of consultants.
Lupus sufferers are more likely to catch infections like salmonella, candida, and herpes. If a person with lupus catches one of these infections, he will need a longer course of antibiotics than a non-sufferer.
Lupus usually manifests itself at specific times in a person’s life. These might be during puberty or the menopause, after a person has taken a long course of medication, if a person has been in an accident or been through childbirth, or if a person has been through a traumatic event.
How Does a Person Catch Lupus
The precise cause of contracting lupus is not known, however it is thought to be hereditary. It is generally more common in Latinos, and African-Americans.
Controlling and Curing Lupus
Lupus can usually be controlled with the use of long-term medication, but it cannot be cured. Side effects do occasionally occur as a result of the controlling medication, but these are generally better than the actual symptoms.
Lupus/Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is an auto-immune disease which can affect many different areas of the body. If a person feels that he may be suffering from Lupus he is advised to see a medical practitioner/doctor to discuss his symptoms as soon as possible.
Sources: LupusResearch.org
