Farah
05-03-2010, 02:33 PM
Neonatal lupus is a rare condition that affects infants of women who have lupus and is caused by antibodies from the mother that affect the infant in the womb. With proper testing, physicians can now identify most at-risk mothers, and the infant can be treated at or before birth.
Most people with lupus will experience joint pain without swelling. However, lupus is not a form of arthritis.
Lupus can run in families, and research suggests that genes are involved in the development of lupus. However, lupus also can develop in people with no family history of the disease.
Lupus is not related to HIV/AIDS. In lupus, the immune system is overactive, while in HIV or AIDS, the immune system is underactive.
Some of the factors that may trigger lupus in people who have the genes that make them prone to develop the disease include infections, ultraviolet light, extreme stress, certain prescription drugs, and hormones.
There is no single laboratory test that can determine whether a person does or does not have lupus. Diagnosing lupus involves analyzing the results of several lab tests that are used to monitor the immune system, along with a review of the person’s entire medical history.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can damage any organ in the body and can cause life-threatening consequences.
In lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances, such as viruses or bacteria, and the body’s healthy tissue. The result is the production of autoantibodies that attack healthy tissue.
Ninety percent of the people who develop lupus are females. Males also can develop lupus and their disease can be more severe in some organs.
African Americans, Hispanics/Latinas, Asians, and Native Americans are two or three times more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians; however, lupus affects people of all races and ethnicities.
Lupus develops most often between ages 15 and 44. However, lupus can develop among males and females of any age, including children and teens.
Only ten percent of people with lupus will have a close relative who already has lupus or may develop lupus. Some people with lupus also will have a relative who has lupus or another autoimmune disease.
The most common symptoms of lupus are: extreme fatigue or exhaustion, headaches, painful or swollen joints, fever, a butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose, sun- or light-sensitivity, and hair loss.
Systemic lupus is the most common type of lupus. Systemic lupus can affect any organ system of the body, including the heart, kidneys, lungs, blood, joints, and skin.
Cutaneous lupus is a form of lupus that is limited to the skin and can cause rashes or sores. Drug-induced lupus is a lupus-like disease caused by taking specific prescription drugs. The symptoms usually disappear within six months after these medications are stopped.
About five percent of the children born to individuals with lupus will develop the illness. At present, there is no genetic screening test that can determine who might go on to develop lupus later in life.
In approximately 10 percent of all lupus cases, individuals will have symptoms and signs of more than one connective tissue disease. A physician may use the term "overlap syndrome" or "mixed connective tissue disease" to describe this condition.
Depending on how lupus affects their body, some people with lupus may need additional care from specialists, like a dermatologist for skin problems, a nephrologist for kidney disease, or a cardiologist for heart complications.
Most people with lupus will experience joint pain without swelling. However, lupus is not a form of arthritis.
Lupus can run in families, and research suggests that genes are involved in the development of lupus. However, lupus also can develop in people with no family history of the disease.
Lupus is not related to HIV/AIDS. In lupus, the immune system is overactive, while in HIV or AIDS, the immune system is underactive.
Some of the factors that may trigger lupus in people who have the genes that make them prone to develop the disease include infections, ultraviolet light, extreme stress, certain prescription drugs, and hormones.
There is no single laboratory test that can determine whether a person does or does not have lupus. Diagnosing lupus involves analyzing the results of several lab tests that are used to monitor the immune system, along with a review of the person’s entire medical history.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can damage any organ in the body and can cause life-threatening consequences.
In lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances, such as viruses or bacteria, and the body’s healthy tissue. The result is the production of autoantibodies that attack healthy tissue.
Ninety percent of the people who develop lupus are females. Males also can develop lupus and their disease can be more severe in some organs.
African Americans, Hispanics/Latinas, Asians, and Native Americans are two or three times more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians; however, lupus affects people of all races and ethnicities.
Lupus develops most often between ages 15 and 44. However, lupus can develop among males and females of any age, including children and teens.
Only ten percent of people with lupus will have a close relative who already has lupus or may develop lupus. Some people with lupus also will have a relative who has lupus or another autoimmune disease.
The most common symptoms of lupus are: extreme fatigue or exhaustion, headaches, painful or swollen joints, fever, a butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose, sun- or light-sensitivity, and hair loss.
Systemic lupus is the most common type of lupus. Systemic lupus can affect any organ system of the body, including the heart, kidneys, lungs, blood, joints, and skin.
Cutaneous lupus is a form of lupus that is limited to the skin and can cause rashes or sores. Drug-induced lupus is a lupus-like disease caused by taking specific prescription drugs. The symptoms usually disappear within six months after these medications are stopped.
About five percent of the children born to individuals with lupus will develop the illness. At present, there is no genetic screening test that can determine who might go on to develop lupus later in life.
In approximately 10 percent of all lupus cases, individuals will have symptoms and signs of more than one connective tissue disease. A physician may use the term "overlap syndrome" or "mixed connective tissue disease" to describe this condition.
Depending on how lupus affects their body, some people with lupus may need additional care from specialists, like a dermatologist for skin problems, a nephrologist for kidney disease, or a cardiologist for heart complications.