Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissue and causes harmful inflammation.
About 1.5 million Americans live with some form of lupus.
9 out 10 people with lupus are women.
Common types of lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
SLE is the most common type of lupus. When people mention lupus, they usually mean SLE.
In the USA is SLE:
3 times more often with black and indigenous people of America
2x times more often in Hispanic people
SLE can influence many parts of the body, including:
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Heart
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lung
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skin
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Kidney
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Joints
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Brain
Some symptoms of SLE are:
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fatigue
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Fever
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Joint pain, swelling or stiffness
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Scaly rash
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Hair loss
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Oral or nose wounds
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Swelling around eyes or in legs
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Schaumer urine
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Painful breathing
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Finger shoot colors in the cold
Renal inflammation caused by SLE can damage the kidneys, which leads to a state called Lupus -Nephritis.
Skin lupus (CLE)
Happens when the immune system attacks the skin and causes rashes that may be red or scaly.
About 65% of SLE people will develop CLE.
To the symptoms of CLE are:
Drug -induced lupus
Happens when certain medication trigger an autoimmune disease that resembles the SLE.
Medicines that are most commonly connected to drug -induced lupus:
The symptoms of a drug -induced lupus are similar to those of SLE.
Newborn -lupus
Happens when a pregnant person passes certain antibodies to the fetus.
These antibodies attack a healthy tissue in the fetus and cause lupus -like symptoms in the newborn.
The most common symptom:
The symptoms usually clarify within a year, but in rare cases, the newborn lupus can influence the heart of the baby and do not prevent it properly.
Submit light to a complex state
Lupus is complicated, but can be managed.
You can find more information about the different types of Lupus under your health service provider or search for online resources such as those of the Lupus Foundation of America.
resources
Lupus Foundation of America
This educational resource was created with the support of Glaxosmithklin, Merck and Novartis.