HEALTH MATTERS

What Is Lupus?
How Can I Know If I Have Lupus?
How can I get diagnosed with Lupus?
How Would I Know If I Am At Risk For Lupus?
What Are Some Treatment Options For Lupus?
How Can I Get More Information?

What Is Lupus ?

• Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in different parts of the body, including the heart, lungs, skin, muscles, joints, blood-forming organs, and kidneys.
• The immune system, which usually fights off viruses and bacteria, loses the ability to tell the difference between the "foreign invaders" and your own cells and tissues. With lupus, your immune system not only fights off foreign invaders but also turns against your own normal cells and tissues (auto) and attacks it, causing inflammation that can affect many parts of the body.
• The exact cause of lupus is unknown, however researchers believe the cause is part genetic (you are born with the genes) and part environmental (something in the environment triggers the symptoms).
• You cannot catch lupus from someone else.

How How can I get diagnosed with Lupus?

Lupus is hard to diagnose because there is no single test that can tell if a person has lupus. A physical exam and a blood test can detect a group of antibodies found in the blood of almost all people with lupus. This screening test is called the ANA and should be done on anyone suspected of having lupus. Some other lab tests include:  

• A urine test can be used to find kidney problems
• Chest X-rays may be taken to find lung damage
• An EKG can find heart problems
• A complete blood count (CBC) test detects low blood counts due to lupus.

• Lupus primarily affects women more often than men. Lupus usually affect individuals around the ages of 18 to 45 during childbearing years
• Lupus occurs more often in African Americans. It occurs in 1 out of 150 black women
• Lupus can occur in young children or in older people
• Lupus tends to most often run in families. If someone in the family has lupus, there is a 10-20% chance that another close relative in the family will be affected as well.

There are 11 symptoms that may help doctors tell the difference between people who have lupus and  people who have other connective tissue disorders. A person should have four or more of the symptoms below to suspect lupus.
 

• Malar (MAY-lar) rash (a butterfly shaped rash over the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose
• Discoid rash (scaly, disk-shaped sores on the face, neck and/or chest
• Rash after being out in the sun
• Ulcers or sores in the mouth- usually nonpainful
• Arthritis (pain, stiffness in two or more joints)
• Serositis (inflammation of the lining around the heart, lungs, and/or abdomen, causing pain when taking a deep breath and shortness of breath)
• Kidney problems (protein in the urine), leading to kidney failure
• Central nervous system problems (Stroke, Seizures)
• Blood problems (anemia, low red blood cells, white blood cells and low platelet count)
• Patchy Hair Loss

• Anemia
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Skin rash
• Muscle ache
• Nausea
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Swollen glande
• Lack of appetite
• Sensitivity to cold (Raynaud's phenomenon)
• Weight loss

• Medications: aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs (Motrin, Naprosyn), Antimalarial drugs (Plaquenil, Chloroquin), Corticosteroids (Prednisone), Immunosuppressant (Imuran, Cytoxan, Methotrexate, cyclosporine)

1. Ask Your Doctor       OR
2. Lupus Foundation Of America, Inc.
   1300 Piccard Drive, Suite 200
   Rockville, MD 20850-4303
   301-670-9292
   800-558-0121       OR
3. Join the Charleston Local Lupus Support Group
   Facilitators: Nancy Newton at 843-795-6535
   or
   Mia Barron, RN at 843-552-9490
   or
   Visit http://www.lupus.org/