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Posts Tagged ‘Lupus’

May 10 is World Lupus Day! By Our Student Pharmacist, Laken Barnette.

Lupus

What is lupus?

It’s never lupus… until it actually is.

The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million Americans and at least 5 million people worldwide have some form of lupus.

So, what is lupus? Lupus is a long-term condition that can causes inflammation and pain in any part of your body. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system (that normally fights infections) attacks healthy tissue. There are four different types of lupus:

  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) – Most common form of lupus
  • Cutaneous lupus – Lupus that is just confined to the skin
  • Drug-induced lupus – Lupus caused by some prescription drugs
  • Neonatal lupus – rare lupus that affects infants of women with the disease

While lupus commonly affects your skin, joints, and internal organs (particularly kidneys and heart), it can cause a wide variety of symptoms and can be incredibly hard to diagnosis. Since every patient is unique, so is every case of lupus. Many patients with lupus go years without a proper diagnosis.

What causes lupus?

In short, no one knows. A common misconception is that lupus is contagious. While it’s not contagious, autoimmune diseases, including lupus, can be passed down from generation to generation. But lupus is not always caused by genetics. It can also be due to environmental triggers (infections, sunlight, stress) or could be potentially caused by a response to hormones (like estrogen).

Who is affected by lupus?

Nine out of ten patients with lupus are women.

Anyone can develop lupus.

However, certain people are at higher risk of developing lupus such as:

  • Women of childbearing age (ages 15 to 44)
  • Certain racial or ethnic groups – including African American, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American or Pacific Islander
  • People who have family members with lupus or other autoimmune diseases

Lupus is two to three times more likely to affect women of color. Research indicates that 1 in 537 young African American women have lupus. LUMINA, a groundbreaking study, reported that African American lupus patients are more likely to have organ system involvement, more active disease, and lower levels of social support compared with white lupus patients. One in three of lupus patients suffer from more than one autoimmune disease.

What are the symptoms of lupus?

Lupus DiagramAs stated previously, lupus can manifest in many different symptoms. The most common symptoms include severe pain, extreme fatigue, hair loss, cognitive issues and physical impairments that prevent many patients from being able to carry out normal daily tasks. Sometimes, patients have no physical symptoms. Symptoms can come and go and could even change over time.

Why lupus awareness is important?

Lupus is coined as a cruel mystery. There is currently no cure for lupus, only treatment. Recent research indicates that it takes the average patient almost seven years to get properly diagnosed. Most lupus patients look completely healthy, but are often plagued by extreme fatigue and chronic pain. While lupus is not a death sentence for most, it is important that patients with this disease get the proper care and treatment they need. Spreading awareness can help patients get diagnosed quicker and help those around them understand the condition.

Sources:

What is lupus? (2020, October 21). Lupus Foundation of America.

https://www.lupus.org/resources/what-is-lupus#

Villano, M. C. (2021, May 10). World lupus day 2021: 5 things to know about this mysterious

disease. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/10/health/world-lupus-day-2021-wellness/index.html