What is lupus?

Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that produces symptoms throughout the body. Autoimmune diseases develop when the body's natural immune system charged with fighting off invaders such as viruses and bacteria mistakes healthy tissue as foreign and mounts an attack. Antibodies, which are the immune cells at the center of the attack, are somehow given faulty instructions. In the case of lupus, these rogue self-attacking antibodies (autoantibodies) attack cells in the joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, blood vessels, and blood. The cause is unknown but certain environmental experiences and medical conditions seem to trigger the disease in genetically susceptible people.

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Lupus is an autoimmune disease that produces symptoms throughout the body. Autoimmune diseases develop when the body's natural immune system charged with fighting off invaders such as viruses and bacteria mistakes healthy tissue as foreign and... More

Johns Hopkins Medicine answered:

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, a class of diseases in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. It is the body's version of "friendly fire."

The immune system is an elaborate network of cells, tissues, and organs that helps to protect the body from invaders (bacteria, viruses, fungal infections, and parasites). Usually, the immune system develops only to act upon foreign substances, and immune system cells that try to combat cells of the body are weeded out during the development process. But in lupus, the cells of the immune system begin to attack the body's own tissues. This can cause permanent scarring that ultimately jeopardizes the function of certain organs and systems in the body.

Lupus affects each person differently - one person may experience a totally different set of symptoms than someone else suffering from the disease.

In the United States, lupus affects roughly one in 2,000 people, and nine out of 10 lupus cases occur in women. Although the disease occurs in people of all races and ethnic groups, it occurs more frequently in African-Americans.

The first symptoms of lupus usually appear between the teen years and early thirties. Symptoms may be mild or severe and they may stop and start, or they may appear continually.

Common general symptoms of lupus include fatigue, fever, and hair loss.

Lupus can also affect individual organs and body parts, such as the skin, kidneys, and joints.

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Lupus is an autoimmune disease, a class of diseases in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. It is the body's version of "friendly fire." The immune system is an elaborate network of cells, tissues, and organs that helps to protect... More

Debra Fulghum Bruce PhD answered:

This inflammatory type of arthritis causes joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and fatigue, and is most common in women ages twenty to forty. In about 20 percent of patients, rashes are common, including a facial rash over the cheeks called a “butterfly rash.” Many patients are sensitive to sunlight, which can worsen the rash. Hair loss and sensitivity to cold exposure in the hands and feet (a condition called Raynaud’s phenomenon) can occur. Most important is the possibility of internal organ disease, most common in the kidney but possibly affecting any organ.

Blood tests can help confirm SLE. About 95 percent of all cases have a positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test, although many with a positive blood test do not actually have SLE. Once the diagnosis is made then proper treatment can start, but it is very dependent on which problems of SLE are present. Most cases are controlled without long-term damage to internal organs, but patients need regular medical follow-up to monitor internal organ function.

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More Related Answers from Debra Fulghum Bruce PhD

This inflammatory type of arthritis causes joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and fatigue, and is most common in women ages twenty to forty. In about 20 percent of patients, rashes are common, including a facial rash over the cheeks called a... More

Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered:

Lupus is an autoimmune illness where the body's own immune system attacks itself. Symptoms of lupus can include fever without any signs of infection, muscle and joint aches, swollen joints, itchy skin and hives, a butterfly red rash on the face, increased skin sensitivity to the sun, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, weight loss and hair loss.

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Lupus is an autoimmune illness where the body's own immune system attacks itself. Symptoms of lupus can include fever without any signs of infection, muscle and joint aches, swollen joints, itchy skin and hives, a butterfly red rash on the... More

Healthwise answered:

Lupus is a long-term autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system attacks your body's healthy tissues. Lupus may cause problems with your skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, nerves, or blood cells.

When you have lupus symptoms, you are having flares or relapses. When your symptoms get better, you are in remission. Lupus can't be cured, but home treatment and medicine can help control the symptoms.