If you have been diagnosed with SLE, reading about lupus facts will help you better understand this disease and cope with it.
Lupus SLE is an autoimmune disease. Our body had a built-in immune system that helps fight against foreign bodies causing infection and other diseases. The body cells and tissues act as soldiers of your body to ward off invading enemies. When you have an autoimmune disease, your own soldier cells and tissues attack not only the viruses and bacteria but also their own kind. This is like your immune system has gone out of control!
Here are few lupus facts you need to know.
Lupus is not caught from another person.
As an autoimmune system it can be traced to genetics or heredity as well as environmental factors such as photosensitivity, stress, smoking and toxin exposure. Hormones and illnesses can also be trigger factors including certain medicines.
Lupus can occur in different organs in the body.
This autoimmune disease usually affects the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain. If your lupus is not specific in one organ, then it’s called systemic lupus erythematosus which affects many organs in the body leading to other complications.
Lupus are of different types.
Discoid lupus erythematosus refers to lupus with symptoms of skin rash that persist. Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus is characterized by skin sores due to photosensitivity. Some medicines taken causes drug-induced lupus SLE. Infants of lupus positive mothers may develop neonatal lupus.
Lupus affects women more than men.
Women between the ages of 15-45 have 90% incidence of lupus than men. The disorder, however can affect all ages and even male and children.
Lupus treatment is not the same in all types.
Lupus treatment depends on the degree of symptoms in patients.
NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen are often the conservative treatment for mild symptoms.
If lupus symptoms are life-threatening, your doctor may prescribe an aggressive treatment of corticosteroids or immunosuppressants.
Lupus is prevalent in certain races or colors.
African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans are more susceptible to acquiring this autoimmune disorder than any other race. Caucasian women rarely develop lupus.
Lupus is not a dreadful disease.
Many people with lupus lived normal lives. Some celebrities like the British singer, Oakland Athletics Tim Raines, Drag-racing Lady Cindy Crawford (not the model and actress), shoe and bad designer Mary Norton, American rap singer “Trick Daddy” Maurice Young and even Lady Gaga have still managed to excel in their various fields of interests while fighting lupus.
Lupus when properly diagnosed and treated, can be easily managed.
These lupus facts can help you learn about your disease. Treatment will be easier if you take part actively in managing your disease.