Lupus (sometimes generically referred to as SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus) is a connective tissue disease. It is an autoimmune disease, that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. The victims suffering from lupus, have inflammation affecting many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart, and lungs. Lupus affects about 1.5 million Americans; nearly 90% of those diagnosed with the disease are female.
There are four forms of lupus including:
Cutaneous lupus erythematosus affects the skin. There are many different types of cutaneous lupus including:
Chronic cutaneous LE (CCLE) which is sometimes called discoid. Subacute cutaneous LE (SCLE), and Acute cutaneous LE (ACLE).
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects multiple systems in the body, such as the skin, joints, lungs, blood, blood vessels, heart, kidneys, liver, brain and nervous system. It is the most common and serious form of lupus.
Drug-induced lupus may develop after taking certain prescription medications. Symptoms generally disappear, within weeks to months, after the drug is discontinued.
Neonatal lupus, a fourth type, is a rare condition, unlike SLE.
Causes No one really knows, that why lupus occurs. But experts have found that some people are more likely to suffer from, because of things that are out of their control, like:
Gender: Women are more likely to suffer from lupus than men. There are 10 women to every one man with lupus.
Estrogen: The female hormone may be a factor in lupus, almost all women who get lupus are of childbearing age.
Race/Ethnicity: Occurs more often in African-American, Asian-American, Latin-American, and Native-American women than in non-Hispanic Caucasian women.
Hereditary: About 10% of people with lupus have a family member with lupus.
Lupus Affecting Hands (courtesy : londonlupuscentre.co.uk)
Lupus (sometimes generically referred to as SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus) is a connective tissue disease. It is an autoimmune disease, that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. The victims suffering from lupus, have inflammation affecting many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart, and lungs. Lupus affects about 1.5 million Americans; nearly 90% of those diagnosed with the disease are female.
There are four forms of lupus including:
Chronic cutaneous LE (CCLE) which is sometimes called discoid.
Subacute cutaneous LE (SCLE), and
Acute cutaneous LE (ACLE).
Causes
No one really knows, that why lupus occurs. But experts have found that some people are more likely to suffer from, because of things that are out of their control, like: