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By Dr. Heather North
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body. The exact number of people living with lupus is unknown since the condition can be difficult to diagnose, although the incidence appears to be increasing.
Because lupus is a chronic illness with numerous symptoms, it can impact a person’s relationships, family, work, education and finances. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, 89% of people with lupus say that they can’t work full-time because of complications, 76% say fatigue has caused them to limit their social activities and 65% say chronic pain is the most challenging part of living with the condition.
Lupus risk factors
Anyone can develop lupus, including adults, children and newborns. It’s more common in women than in men and about 90% of diagnoses are in women of reproductive age (15 to 44).
Lupus tends to be more common in people who are African-American, Native American, Hispanic and Asian.
A person is at higher risk of lupus if she has a relative with lupus or another autoimmune condition.
Lupus symptoms
Lupus can affect many parts of the body, so it can cause various symptoms (though not everyone with lupus has all of these signs). The most common symptoms are feeling extremely tired all the time; joint pain or swelling; muscle pain; depression; anemia; headaches; swelling around the eyes and in the hands or feet; low fevers; chest pain when taking deep breaths; seizures; and sensitivity to fluorescent light or sunlight.
Lupus can also affect a person’s hair and skin, causing hair loss, mouth or nose sores, a butterfly-shaped rash on the nose and cheeks; and fingers or toes that feel numb or turn blue or white when a person is stressed or cold.
The condition can also cause problems with a person’s blood and internal organs like the heart, kidneys, brain and lungs.
Sometimes symptoms come and go. When they do occur, we call this a flare-up. If a person with lupus has mild or no symptoms, the disease is considered to be quiescent or stable.
Symptoms can also be caused by other health conditions, so they don’t necessarily mean you have lupus.
Lupus treatment
Currently, there’s no cure for lupus. Lupus treatment plans typically involve medication and focus on managing symptoms, preventing organ damage and keeping the body’s immune system from attacking healthy tissue.
If you have any potential lupus symptoms, talk to your primary care provider. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist like a rheumatologist for further evaluation. To find a provider near you, visit www.pardeehospital.org.
Dr. Heather North is a board-certified rheumatologist at Rheumatology at Pardee.
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