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Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that instead of just attacking foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses, your immune system also turns against healthy tissue. This leads to inflammation and damage to various parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain.
Doctors don't know what causes autoimmune diseases, such as lupus. It's likely that lupus results from a combination of your genetics and your environment. Doctors believe that you may inherit a predisposition to lupus, but not lupus itself. Instead, people with an inherited predisposition for lupus may only develop the disease when they come into contact with something in the environment that can trigger lupus, such as a medication or a virus.
While doctors don't know what causes lupus in many cases, they have identified factors that may increase your risk of the disease, including:
Sex. Lupus is more common in women than in men.
Age. It's most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45.
Race. Lupus is more common in blacks and in Asians.
Sunlight. Exposure to the sun may bring on lupus skin lesions or trigger an internal response in susceptible people.
Certain prescription medications. Drug-induced lupus results from the long-term use of certain prescription drugs. Although many medications can potentially trigger lupus, examples of drugs most clearly linked with the disease include the antipsychotic chlorpromazine, high blood pressure medications such as hydralazine, the tuberculosis drug isoniazid and the heart medication procainamide, among others.
Infection with Epstein-Barr virus. Almost everyone has been infected with a common human virus called Epstein-Barr virus.
Exposure to chemicals. Some studies have shown that people who work in jobs that involve exposure to mercury and silica may have an increased risk of lupus.
The signs and symptoms of lupus that you experience will depend on which body systems are affected by the disease. But, in general, lupus signs and symptoms may include:
Fatigue
Fever
Weight loss or gain
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
Butterfly-shaped rash (malar rash) on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose
Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure
Mouth sores
Hair loss (alopecia)
Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods (Raynaud's phenomenon)
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Dry eyes
Easy bruising
Anxiety
Depression
Memory loss
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If the genetic predisposition exists in a person, then lupus can be triggered. It is thought that environmental causes like disease, drugs, or viruses can trigger lupus.
There are some factors that can increase your chances of developing lupus.
Females account for 90% of lupus cases
Females between the ages of 15 and 45 account for 80% of diagnoses of lupus
People of African, Asian, or native American heritage tend to be more likely to develop the disease
1 in 1,000 Caucasian women develop lupus
1 in 250 African American women develop lupus
Common lupus symptoms:
Pain and inflammation of the joints and muscles
Rash on the face, in a butterfly shape over the cheeks and nose
Fatigue
Depression
Fever
Arthritis
Anemia
Kidney diseases
Photosensitivity
Mouth lesions
Hair loss
Blood clotting problems
Seizures
Treatment
There are many treatments available for lupus.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, aspirin, and Aleve are commonly used), antimalarials, and corticosteroids are all used to treat lupus.
Additionally, a healthy diet and an active lifestyle will help to alleviate many lupus symptoms.
Fish oil supplements have shown promising results for lupus sufferers as well.
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Even if you have relatives who have suffered from it, is not yet known if genetic predisposition is a greater predictor than environmental factors such as exposure to viruses or ultraviolet light.
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How Do You Get Lupus?
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