What is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)?
Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) is a long-term autoimmune disease Autoimmune Diseases The immune system is your body's defense system. It helps protect you from illness and infection. The immune system usually attacks invading bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. With an autoimmune... read more . In an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks parts of your own body.
Lupus is most common in women between the ages of 15 and 44, but it can happen to just about anyone
Joint and skin problems are common, but you may have problems with your kidneys, heart and lungs, brain, or other organs
Doctors may give you corticosteroids or other medicines that slow down your immune system
Lupus is a lifelong condition, but the earlier it's diagnosed, the better
What causes lupus?
In lupus your immune system attacks the connective tissue in your body. Doctors don’t know what causes this to happen.
Connective tissue is an important building block in the body. Connective tissue is in all your organs to hold them together. A problem with connective tissue can affect almost any organ in your body.
Sometimes, certain medicines cause lupus. If this happens, your symptoms usually go away when you stop taking the medicine.
What are the symptoms of lupus?
Symptoms can start slowly and build over time, or they can begin suddenly. Symptoms may come and go, sometimes disappearing for years between flare-ups.
Symptoms vary a lot depending on what parts of your body have been affected. Common symptoms for many people include:
Joint pain or swelling
Tiredness and feeling unwell
Fever
A red rash across your nose and cheeks, sometimes called a butterfly rash because it's shaped like a butterfly
Red rash on your neck, upper chest, or elbows
Worsening of rash when you're out in the sun
Raynaud syndrome Raynaud Syndrome Raynaud syndrome is a problem with blood flow in your fingers and rarely your toes. Blood vessels in your fingers close up too much The ends of your fingers turn pale and blue and feel numb... read more
(your fingers get pale, tingly, and numb when you get cold)
Symptoms that involve other parts of your body include:
Patchy hair loss
Dry eyes
Trouble breathing
Headaches, problems with thinking, or mental disorders
Feeling sick to your stomach or having diarrhea or belly pain
The following may cause your lupus symptoms to get worse or flare up:
Sun exposure
Pregnancy
Infection
Certain medicines
Surgery
How can doctors tell if I have lupus?
No one test can say whether you have lupus. Doctors use a set of criteria to say whether you have lupus. The criteria include a long list of:
Symptoms
Blood and urine test results
Instead of the criteria, doctors can also diagnose lupus based on:
A biopsy, in which doctors take out a piece of tissue from your kidney or skin to look at under a microscope
How do doctors treat lupus?
Doctors treat mild lupus with:
Medicines such as aspirin or ibuprofen (NSAIDs) for pain
Medicines such as hydroxychloroquine to lessen your skin and joint symptoms
Sunscreen to protect skin from the sun
Corticosteroid creams to treat rashes
If your lupus is doing a lot of damage to your kidneys and other organs, doctors may have you take:
Corticosteroids
Medicine to keep your immune system from attacking your own tissue
If lupus has severely damaged your kidneys, doctors will treat you with:
You may need special care during pregnancy to keep from losing your baby, having your baby early, or having high blood pressure while you're pregnant. It's best to try to time a pregnancy for when you aren't having lupus symptoms.
Lupus increases your risk of getting infections, cancer, and other problems so it's important to see your doctor regularly over the long-term.
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
| Generic Name | Select Brand Names |
|---|---|
aspirin |
Anacin Adult Low Strength, Aspergum, Aspir-Low, Aspirtab , Aspir-Trin , Bayer Advanced Aspirin, Bayer Aspirin, Bayer Aspirin Extra Strength, Bayer Aspirin Plus, Bayer Aspirin Regimen, Bayer Children's Aspirin, Bayer Extra Strength, Bayer Extra Strength Plus, Bayer Genuine Aspirin, Bayer Low Dose Aspirin Regimen, Bayer Womens Aspirin , BeneHealth Aspirin, Bufferin, Bufferin Extra Strength, Bufferin Low Dose, DURLAZA, Easprin , Ecotrin, Ecotrin Low Strength, Genacote, Halfprin, MiniPrin, St. Joseph Adult Low Strength, St. Joseph Aspirin, VAZALORE, Zero Order Release Aspirin, ZORprin |
ibuprofen |
Advil, Advil Children's, Advil Children's Fever, Advil Infants', Advil Junior Strength, Advil Migraine, Caldolor, Children's Ibuprofen, ElixSure IB, Genpril , Ibren , IBU, Midol, Midol Cramps and Body Aches, Motrin, Motrin Children's, Motrin IB, Motrin Infants', Motrin Junior Strength, Motrin Migraine Pain, PediaCare Children's Pain Reliever/Fever Reducer IB, PediaCare Infants' Pain Reliever/Fever Reducer IB, Samson-8 |
