Every day with Lupus raises a new question

What is lupus?

Lupus is a long-term autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues. This causes inflammation that may affect the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood cells or nervous system.

‍

Symptoms vary greatly between people. Lupus often alternates between flares, when symptoms become more active, and remission, when they improve or disappear. The most common form is systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE. mama health's guide to what lupus is covers the symptoms, causes and care in more detail.

What causes lupus?

The exact cause is not fully understood. Lupus is thought to develop through a combination of genetic susceptibility, immune-system changes and environmental influences, and mama health's guide to whether lupus is genetic covers what families ask about most.

‍

Possible triggers include sunlight, infections, smoking and certain medicines. These do not cause lupus in everyone, and the condition is not the result of something a person did.

Types of lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is the most common type and can affect several organs and body systems.‍

‍

Cutaneous lupus mainly affects the skin and may cause rashes, sores or sensitivity to sunlight. Its forms include discoid and subacute cutaneous lupus, covered in mama health's guide to the lupus rash.‍

‍

Drug-induced lupus is a reaction to certain medicines, and symptoms usually improve after the responsible medicine is stopped under medical supervision.‍

‍

Neonatal lupus is a rare condition affecting some babies whose birth parent has particular antibodies. It is different from systemic lupus and usually temporary, although it can occasionally affect the baby's heart. Pregnancy with lupus is covered in lupus and pregnancy.

How is lupus treated?

Treatment is personalized according to the symptoms, organs affected and severity. Its goals are to control inflammation, reduce flares, protect the organs and support quality of life.

‍

Medicines may include anti-inflammatory treatments, antimalarial medicines, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants and biologic treatments. Additional medicines may be needed for complications such as high blood pressure, blood clots or reduced bone strength. Treatment should not be stopped or changed without speaking to the healthcare team. Questions between appointments can be put through mama health, which is free lupus support grounded in medical science and the experience of others.

Living with lupus

Regular appointments and blood and urine tests matter even when symptoms are controlled. A record of pain, fatigue, rashes, fever, swelling, medicines and the effect of symptoms on daily life makes appointments more productive, and it can be kept in one place in the mama health app, a free lupus app built with in-house doctors.

‍

Sun protection is especially important, because ultraviolet light can trigger skin symptoms or wider activity in some people. Balanced nutrition, appropriate physical activity, enough rest and avoiding smoking support general health, although they do not replace medical treatment. mama health's guide to living with lupus day to day covers what other people have found works.

How lupus can affect the organs

Lupus inflammation may affect the kidneys, causing a condition called lupus nephritis. Warning signs can include protein or blood in the urine, swelling, high blood pressure or changes in kidney function, although kidney inflammation may initially cause no noticeable symptoms. mama health's guide to kidney conditions and what the numbers mean covers protein in the urine in more detail.

‍

Lupus can also affect the lining around the heart or lungs, the blood vessels, blood-cell counts and the nervous system. Some people develop antiphospholipid antibodies, which can increase the likelihood of blood clots. Regular blood and urine tests help identify organ involvement before serious symptoms develop.

Who is at risk of developing lupus?

Anyone can develop lupus, although it is considerably more common in women and often begins between adolescence and middle age. People with a close relative who has lupus or another autoimmune condition may have a greater likelihood of developing it.

‍

Lupus is also diagnosed more frequently in people of African, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous American and Pacific Islander ancestry. Having one or more risk factors does not mean that someone will necessarily develop lupus.

What are the symptoms of lupus?

Common symptoms include severe fatigue, painful or swollen joints, morning stiffness, fever, hair loss and mouth or nose sores. Skin symptoms may include a rash across the cheeks and nose, circular scaly patches or rashes that worsen after sun exposure.

‍

The two that affect daily life most are fatigue and joint pain, covered in lupus fatigue, why lupus fatigue happens and what helps and lupus joint pain.

‍

Other possible symptoms include headaches, memory or concentration difficulties, swollen glands, abdominal discomfort, and fingers or toes changing color in response to cold or stress. Swelling around the eyes or in the legs, chest pain when breathing deeply and changes in urination may indicate that internal organs are affected. Symptoms can appear gradually, come and go, and change over time.

How is lupus diagnosed?

There is no single test that confirms lupus. Diagnosis is based on symptoms, medical and family history, physical examination and laboratory results. Because symptoms may appear at different times and resemble other conditions, reaching a diagnosis can take time, which mama health's guide to why a lupus diagnosis takes time covers.

‍

Testing may include an antinuclear antibody test, more specific antibody tests, blood-cell counts, kidney-function tests and urine tests. A skin or kidney biopsy may be recommended when those organs appear to be affected. A positive antinuclear antibody result alone does not mean that someone has lupus. Results and letters can be read back in plain language in the mama health app, a free lupus support app.