My Story of Living with Lupus

I've known a few people who have told me that they had lupus. However, looking at them I never would have known they had any sort of disease. I know that you can't always tell by looking at a person, which is exactly the case with someone who has lupus. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal tissues. The reason for this is still unknown which could be part of the reason why there is no cure for this disease. Lupus can affect the skin, joints, nervous system, internal organs, and in some cases it can even cause brain damage. This is not an easy disease to understand. Those around you may not understand that you are sick because the signs and symptoms of lupus aren't always visible. It may even take your doctor awhile to diagnose you correctly, although you know that something is not right with your body. Since lupus afflicts the autoimmune system, it can sometimes imitate other illnesses, making diagnosis and treatment difficult.

I recently read an article about a former classmate of mine who suffers from lupus. To look at her, she looks perfectly healthy and I was shocked to learn that she suffered from this disease. Experts today estimate that lupus affects 1.5 million Americans. The primary group is young women between the ages of 18-24, although there is no certain age that is exempt from this disease. If lupus is left untreated, it can cause its victims much physical and psychological pain as well as increase their risk for heart disease. It is also a fact that African American women die from this disease two to three times more often than Caucasians.

The reason lupus is often misdiagnosed and mistreated is because it mimics other illnesses. Some ailments it has been mistaken for are arthritis, anemia, and even pneumonia. Most lupus patients weren't initially diagnosed with the disease. Usually it took bouts of extreme illnesses before the correct diagnosis was made.

Lupus can restrict daily activities from tasks as seemingly simple as walking to more physical activities such as dancing and playing sports. People with lupus may suffer from several of its symptoms, each affecting a different part of the body. There are three main types of lupus: systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE), discoid lupus erythematosus, and drug induced lupus. Systematic lupus erythematosus is the most common form of lupus. The word "systematic" is used because the disease can involve many parts of the body such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, or brain. This type of lupus can range in degree from mild to serious. Discoid lupus mainly affects the skin. A red rash may appear, often referred to as the "butterfly rash" because it resembles the shape of a butterfly, on the face, scalp, or elsewhere. Drug induced lupus is triggered by certain medicines. Its symptoms are like those with SLE, however, when the medicine use is stopped the disease goes away. This type of lupus is more common in men than women because the medicines that cause it, hydralazine and procainamide, are used to treat heart diseases common in men.

The key to finding the cure to lupus is first finding out what causes it. While the disease can have different symptoms in each person, doctors believe genetic and environmental factors may cause the illness. Lupus is 10 times more common in women than in men which lead some doctors to believe that women's hormones can factor in to lupus. The Lupus Foundation of America is trying to ensure that this illness is diagnosed early so that treatment can begin before the disease leads to significant tissue damage, organ failure, mental illness, disability, or even death. If lupus runs in your family, it's important that you get tested to find out if you have the disease. Model and actress Tomiko Frasier is the spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America. She cares for her sister who suffers from lupus. Her sister's disease left her with brain damage and she is unable to care for herself. Tomiko says she feels like she's "caring for a small child." Tomiko encourages women, especially women of color to get educated about this disease.

The former classmate of mine is taking a variety of medications to control her lupus and says her lupus is now in remission. However, people with lupus know that a flare can occur at any time. Depending on the stage of the illness, lupus can affect different parts of the body which is why it's important to know the early signs and symptoms so that you can discuss them with your doctor before they become life threatening. Some of these signs and symptoms include achy joints, unexplained fever, arthritis or swollen joints, skin rashes, anemia, kidney inflammation, sensitivity to sun or light, butterfly shaped rash across the cheeks and nose, chest pain or deep breathing, and pale fingers and toes. For more symptoms and more information on lupus visit www.lupus.org. Do your own research about the disease to ensure that you get the correct diagnosis and the proper treatment.

Sources:
www.lupus.org
Lupus Foundation of America
www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/lupus