Lupus Information...

Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus:

• SLE is a long term autoimmune disease that affects the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, and other organs.
• SLE is an autoimmune disease-this means that the body mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. This leads to long term, chronic, inflammation.
• The underlying reason for SLE is unknown.
•   SLE is much more common in women than in men; it may occur at any age, but appears most often in people between the ages of 10 and 50. It often shows itself for the first time in women of their childbearing years.
• African Americans are affected more often than people from other races; African Americans also tend to have more problems with their kidneys.

• SLE can be caused by certain medications; this form of SLE is called Drug-induced Lupus Erythmatosus. This form is not as severe, and usually goes away when the medication causing it is stopped. 

SYMPTOMS OF SLE :

You know you feel like crap, but you are unsure whether this could be Lupus or not? Here is a list of the most common symptoms of Lupus; this is by no means all inclusive, and Lupus shows it's ugly head differently in everyone, but if you have several of these symptoms or just feel "off", it's time to make that Dr's appointment!

• Symptoms may come and go, but almost everyone with SLE has joint pain and swelling. Some develop arthritis. The most affected joints are the fingers, hands, wrists, and knees.
• Other common Symptoms include:
• Chest pain when taking a deep breath
• Fatigue (this is a biggie! virtually everyone I know with the disease says this is their primary complaint.)
• Fever with no other cause (another biggie! often one of the first signs of an impending flare...)
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
• Hair Loss
• Mouth Sores
• Sensitivity to sunlight
• Skin Rash (a "butterfly" or malar rash over the cheeks and bridge of the nose affects about 50% of those with SLE-this is often a sign of an impending flare as well)
• Swollen lymph nodes

•   Other symptoms will depend on what part of your body is affected:
• If your brain and nervous system are involved:
• headaches, numbness, tingling, seizures, vision problems, and personality changes

• Digestive System:
• abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting

• Heart:
• abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)

• Lung:
• Coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, pain when taking a deep breath, or generally feeling like you cant take a complete breath; especially when at rest.

• Skin:
• patchy skin color, fingers that change color when cold (Raynaud's Phenomenon)
• some patients have a version of Lupus that affects only the skin; this form of Lupus is called Discoid Lupus. 

*some information provided by PubMed Health.