| Systemic lupus erythematosus, also commonly | | | | reason for this is unknown. |
| referred to as lupus or SLE, is a chronic, | | | | Memory problems bother patients on a day-to-day |
| inflammatory, autoimmune disease. Lupus can affect | | | | basis. This is a huge problem, and we don't know |
| the joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, nervous system | | | | why. In lupus patients, we are often overlooking |
| and other organs of the body. It is not uncommon | | | | fibromyalgia. Thirty percent of my patients have |
| for symptoms associated with lupus to resemble | | | | fibromyalgia. You are tired, you hurt, and nothing |
| symptoms associated with other types of arthritis | | | | your doctor does helps. Fibromyalgia is not |
| and rheumatic disease, making lupus difficult to | | | | inflammatory. It is a resetting of the pain thermostat |
| diagnose. | | | | in the brain. I suspect it has more of an impact on |
| According to the Lupus Foundation of America, | | | | your day-to-day life than your lupus, if your lupus is |
| approximately 1.5 million people in the U.S. have lupus. | | | | not flaring. |
| People of African, Asian and Native American | | | | Lupus can affect anybody but the distribution is |
| descent are more likely to develop lupus than are | | | | somewhat uneven. The disease is much more |
| Caucasians. Although it can occur in both men and | | | | common in women, especially those of childbearing |
| women, 90% of people diagnosed with the disease | | | | age, with ratio of women to men being around 9:1. |
| are women. Women of childbearing age (14 to 45 | | | | The disease also appears to be more prevalent in |
| years old) are most often affected—as many as 1 | | | | women of African, Asian, Hispanic and Native |
| in 250 may develop lupus. | | | | American origin but the degree to which this is due |
| In lupus, the regulation of the immune system goes | | | | to genetics or socioeconomic factors is unknown. |
| awry and the body produces autoantibodies | | | | If you have lupus, your immune system attacks |
| (antibodies that attack the patient's own tissues). | | | | healthy cells and tissues by mistake. This can damage |
| This reaction results in inflammation that causes | | | | your joints, skin, blood vessels and organs. There are |
| redness, pain and swelling in the affected parts of | | | | many kinds of lupus. The most common type, |
| the body. | | | | systemic lupus erythematosus, affects many parts |
| Lupus is a condition characterized by chronic | | | | of the body. Discoid lupus causes a rash that doesn't |
| inflammation of body tissues caused by autoimmune | | | | go away. Subacute cutaneous lupus causes sores |
| disease. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur | | | | after being out in the sun. Another type can be |
| when the body's tissues are attacked by its own | | | | caused by medication. Neonatal lupus, which is rare, |
| immune system. The immune system is a complex | | | | affects newborns. |
| system within the body that is designed to fight | | | | SLE (lupus) is an autoimmune disease. This means |
| infectious agents, for example, bacteria, and other | | | | there is a problem with the body's normal immune |
| foreign invaders. | | | | system response. But in patients with an autoimmune |
| Some patients with lupus have a very mild condition, | | | | disease, the immune system can't tell the difference |
| which can be treated with simple medications, | | | | between harmful substances and healthy ones. The |
| whereas others can have serious, life-threatening | | | | result is an overactive immune response that attacks |
| complications. Lupus is more common in women than | | | | otherwise healthy cells and tissue. This leads to |
| men, and its peak incidence is after puberty—the | | | | chronic (long-term) inflammation. |