| Causes of Lupus | | | | more likely to experience autoimmune disorders, such |
| Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a | | | | as SLE than men, which may help to explain the higher |
| chronic autoimmune disease that can be fatal, though | | | | prevalence of lupus in women. |
| with recent medical advances, fatalities are becoming | | | | Symptoms of Lupus |
| increasingly rare. As with other autoimmune diseases, | | | | SLE symptoms may develop slowly over months or |
| the immune system attacks the body’s cells and | | | | years, or they may appear suddenly. Symptoms tend |
| tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. SLE | | | | to be worse during winter months, perhaps because |
| can affect any part of the body, but most often harms | | | | prolonged exposure to sunlight in the summer causes |
| the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, | | | | a gradual build-up of factors that trigger symptoms |
| and nervous system. | | | | months later. |
| Lupus (pronounced: loo-pus) is a disease that involves | | | | Each person with lupus has slightly different symptoms |
| the immune system and affects about 1.5 million | | | | that can range from mild to severe and may come |
| Americans; nearly 90% of those diagnosed with the | | | | and go over time. However, some of the most |
| disease are female. Normally, a person's immune | | | | common symptoms of lupus include painful or swollen |
| system works by producing immunity cells and | | | | joints (arthritis), unexplained fever, and extreme fatigue. |
| antibodies, special substances that fight germs and | | | | A characteristic red skin rash (the so-called butterfly or |
| infection if you have lupus, your immune system | | | | malar rash) may appear across the nose and cheeks. |
| attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. This can | | | | Affecting what the Lupus Foundation of America |
| damage your joints, skin, blood vessels and organs. | | | | estimates is 500,000 to 1.5 million Americans, lupus is a |
| There are many kinds of lupus. The most common | | | | chronic inflammatory disease that affects various |
| type, systemic lupus erythematosus, affects many | | | | parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and |
| parts of the body | | | | kidneys |
| What causes lupus | | | | Treatment of Lupus |
| Environment (Sunlight, stress, certain medications, and | | | | The use of ibuprofen (Morin, Advil) and medications like |
| viruses might trigger symptoms in people who are | | | | ibuprofen in treating lupus requires some caution. |
| prone to getting lupus.) | | | | Ibuprofen and similar drugs can harm kidney function, |
| Hormones (Lupus is more common in women during | | | | especially in people who already have kidney |
| childbearing years.)Sunlight. Exposure to the sun may | | | | problems. In addition, ibuprofen and related agents can |
| bring on lupus skin lesions or trigger an internal | | | | rarely cause inflammation of the lining of the brain |
| response in susceptible people. Exactly why ultraviolet | | | | resulting in a severe headache. |
| radiation has this effect isn't well understood, but | | | | Antimalarial drugs. Although there's no known |
| scientists suspect that sunlight may cause skin cells to | | | | relationship between lupus and malaria, these |
| express certain proteins on their surface. | | | | medications have proved useful in treating signs and |
| Although the causes of lupus are not completely | | | | symptoms of lupus. Antimalarials may also prevent |
| understood, the disease is believed to result from an | | | | flares of the disease. Hydroxy chloroquine (Plaque nil) |
| interplay of genetic, environmental (such as ultraviolet | | | | is the most commonly prescribed antimalarial. Side |
| light, stress, infections, certain drugs and chemicals) and | | | | effects of antimalarial drugs include vision problems |
| hormonal factors.Studies have shown that women are | | | | and muscle weakness. |