World Lupus Day May 10

If you are a fan of the television show “House”, you just might have heard of LUPUS before, as it seems to be Dr House’s default diagnosis most of the time. But really the most common response I get when I tell people that I have suffered from Lupus for 19 years is, “Lupus …what is that?”

So…What is Lupus (SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS OR SLE)

Lupus is the Latin word for wolf. The term has been associated with the disease since the 10th century. Erythematosus means redness. It is said that the name was given to describe the skin lesions, which typically are red and perhaps at that time in history were thought to resemble the bite of a wolf. Of course, not everyone with lupus has rashes or skin lesions, in fact, it seems that no two Lupus sufferers ever have exactly the same symptoms.

The Disease.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. A normal healthy immune system recognises and destroys bacteria and viruses. With autoimmune diseases, however, the immune system starts to attack objects that are not foreign, becomes hyperactive and attacks normal tissue.

With lupus, the immune system produces antibodies that attach themselves to various structures in the body. These antibodies in the tissues can cause inflammation, damage and pain.

Although lupus can affect anybody, 90% of lupus patients are women. Of these, 90% develop the condition during their child bearing years.

Lupus is a very changeable disease that also mimics alot of different conditions and is therefore usually difficult to diagnos. While it has many characteristic symptoms, most patients will never experience all of them and no two patients experience identical symptoms.

The severity of the disease also varies. In some patients symptoms appear suddenly and are relatively severe, while in others the disease remains at a low level for several years before diagnosis.

Lupus runs an unpredictable course. For some people, symptoms subside after treatment of the initial acute attack. For others, periods of “remission” are punctuated by”flare-ups” of disease.

Lupus can affect any or all organs of the body.

People of all races can have lupus; however, African American women have a three times higher incidence than Caucasian women. Statistics show that Lupus is also more common in women of Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent.

Symptoms.

Lupus symptoms can vary greatly from person to person, but below is a list of symptoms that might indicate the presence of lupus in an undiagnosed person.

* Achy, painful or swollen joints
* Persistent fever
* Prolonged, unexplained, extreme fatigue
* Skin rashes, including a butterfly shaped rash across the cheeks and nose
* Pains in the chest
* Anemia
* Protein in the urine
* Sensitivity to sun or ultraviolet light
* Hair loss
* Blood clotting problems
* Fingers turning white and/or blue in the cold
* Seizures
*Persistent mouth or nose ulcers

Lupus can cause disfiguring rashes and scarring, multiple miscarriages, kidney, heart and lung failure, impaired neurological function, strokes, heart attacks and death.

Many people with lupus are unable to maintain employment or attend school because of extended Lupus-related absences and hospitalizations. A majority of those affected must live with debilitating pain and profound fatigue which greatly affects their quality of life.

Can I Catch Lupus?

No, Lupus is NOT contagious, not even through sexual contact.

Getting Help.

Most states of Australia have Lupus support groups

Queensland

New South Wales

Victoria

Tasmania

Western Australia

South Australia

Internationally…. USA and UK.

World Lupus Day.

The benefits of awareness and early diagnosis are the primary reasons that Lupus organizations around the world, large and small, have agreed to unite to observe World Lupus Day and conduct activities that call attention to the need for improved patient health care services, increased research into the causes of and a cure for Lupus.

So now the next time you hear that someone has Lupus you will not be left wondering, “What is Lupus?”