7 Facts You Should Know About Lupus

Lupus can be a tricky disease because of its complexity. Its symptoms, diagnosis, types, who it affects the most, and other aspects of the chronic autoimmune disease can be confusing because the disease impacts every patient differently.

To help you learn more about lupus, here’s a list of seven facts:

Autoimmune diseases are serious conditions that occur when your own immune system attacks your healthy cells. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that is chronic, meaning that it is a long-lasting disease with conditions that can last months, years, or even for life.

Learn more about symptoms and treatment options for autoimmune diseases.

Lupus is a complex disease with no current cure, but there are plenty of treatment options. Doctors treat lupus according to the symptoms that patients show in order to cure or lessen symptoms occurring at that moment.

Read more about 5 treatment options for lupus.

One of the reasons lupus is so mysterious and complex is that there is no known cause for what triggers the symptoms. Even though relatives of lupus patients may have a higher risk of developing the disease, it is not a hereditary illness.

Find out what can trigger a lupus flare.

Women are more at risk for developing lupus than men. Girls and female teenagers are also at risk. However, Caucasian women are less at risk for lupus than women of all other races.

Learn about 9 symptoms of lupus in children.

It’s estimated that 5 million people worldwide live with lupus — and many of them are not aware that they have the disease. Celebrities Seal, Paula Abdul, Toni Braxton, and Selena Gomez live with lupus and are advocates for raising awareness and the need to cure the disease.

Here’s a list of 6 celebrities living with lupus.

There are at least thirteen common symptoms and signs of lupus in patients. Because it is a very individualized disease, patients may have different symptoms. Patients need at least four symptoms present to be diagnosed with lupus. Sometimes it takes a long time for doctors to provide a lupus diagnosis because the disease can affect any part of a patient’s body and there is no one specific test to achieve the diagnosis.

Read about 13 of the most common symptoms of lupus here.

Learn more about types of autoimmune disease and their definitions.

Lupus News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.