Today, I am going to talk to you about a medical condition called Lupus. I am not a doctor, and am not at all a medical professional. So, my disclaimer is that you should verify this information with your doctor for yourself.
My intention is to spread knowledge about lupus. Before I found out that I had it, I knew nothing about it. Now, one of my goals is to let people know more about this disease, so that they can be aware.
The way I like to define it is that it is when your white blood cells (which are designed to fight off all of the unhealthy bacteria in your body) start to attack healthy organs and tissue.
Basically Lupus is a chronic (long-term) disease that can cause inflammation and pain in any part of your body. It’s an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system — the body system that usually fights infections — attacks healthy tissue instead.
Lupus also comes in many different types. The most common type of lupus is called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or SLE.
This is the type of lupus that I have. This type of lupus can cause inflammation of multiple organs or organ systems in the body, either acutely or chronically.
Experts don’t know what causes SLE, but apparently lupus and other autoimmune diseases tend to run in families.
Women ages 15 to 44 and certain ethnic groups—including African American, Asian American, Hispanics/Latino, and Native American are at higher risk for developing SLE than the rest of the population.
Another form of lupus is called Cutaneous Lupus. This form of lupus is limited to the skin.
Approximately two-thirds of people with lupus will develop some type of skin disease, called Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus.
Skin disease in lupus can cause rashes or sores (lesions), most of which will appear on sun-exposed areas such as the face, ears, neck, arms, and legs.
Neonatal Lupus is also a rare condition that affects infants of women who have lupus.
Neonatal lupus is not true lupus. It is a rare condition associated with anti-SSA/Ro and/or anti-SSB/La antibodies from the mother that affect the fetus.
At birth, the baby may have a skin rash, liver problems, or low blood cell counts, but these symptoms typically disappear completely after six months with no lasting effects.
Lastly, Drug – Induced Lupus is yet another type of lupus, but it is really a lupus-like disease that is caused by certain prescription drugs.
The drugs most commonly connected with drug-induced lupus are:
Hydralazine (used to treat high blood pressure or hypertension)
Procainamide (used to treat irregular heart rhythms)
Isoniazid (used to treat tuberculosis)
It is important to note that Drug-induced lupus is more common in men because they are given these drugs more often; however, not everyone who takes these drugs will develop the disease.
Forty to seventy percent of people with lupus will find that their disease is made worse by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight or artificial light. I know this is true, because I happen to fall into this category.
Since finding out that I have Lupus, I had to make changes in my life. It is not a death sentence and I am learning to live with it and life is starting to get really, really good!
For more information about Lupus visit https://www.lupus.org/