Informative Essay: What Is Lupus?

A woman comes into the hospital complaining of extreme fatigue that does not go away with rest, she has a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and she has some skin sores and rashes, almost in a butterfly-shaped pattern across her cheeks and nose. After blood and urine tests, the signs and symptoms and physical examination findings leads to the diagnosis of lupus.

As a group, we have close personal connections to people that suffer from this disease. Our efforts are to raise awareness with students of the symptoms because people who suffer with lupus are among us every day and we cannot comprehend the struggle that they are going through. When creating the pamphlets that we will use to educate the masses, we will include stories of people who suffer from this disease. By including the personal testimonies it will allow students to understand how lupus affects the victim’s everyday life. Once students understand how painful it to live with this disease, they will be aware of the symptoms and be able to educate others. Grasping what people with this disease go through and what they suffer from, has motivated our group to inform others of how important knowing the symptoms of lupus and how important the quest for a cure is. The reasoning is that this is a genetic disease that is affecting 1.5 million Americans and a total of 5 million throughout the world, and there has yet to be a cure for this disease, just treatments to help the sufferers through their

Lupus is a rare and crippleing disease. This disease is as rare as it is hard to undertand. Lupus being a not well known disease is hard to pinpoint. This disease causes insufferable pain and body problems. Such a terrible disease causes syptoms like swelling muscles, joint pains, general inflamations, organ failures, and overall fatigue. Lupus is an autoimmune disease ( AKA the autoimmune sytem attacking itself). This autoimmune disease is most common in youge woman in birth bearing age. With little known reason

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) also referred to lupus dates back to the middle ages and has made an explosion in the past 60 years. Even though more than 1.5 million Americans have lupus and 90% of lupus sufferers are women, between the ages of 15 to 44 (Lupus Research Institute), there is little awareness about the disease. 72% of Americans aged 18-34 have either not heard of the disease or know nothing about it (Medical News Today). However, researchers continue on working to have a better understanding of SLE factors, pathophysiology, current treatment and new prospects for treatment.

Facial redness or a rash on the face appears in the shape of a butterfly. This rash is flat, patchy lesions can also occur on the face; these lesions are raised and rough to the touch. Some Lupus patients may lose their hair, and scarring on the scalp may be related to this. Lupus patients also experience photosensitivity, a harmful reaction to sunlight. Rashes can occur due to exposure to sunlight. People that have Lupus bruise easily. Ulcers may occur in the mouth, nose and throat ." #

Szuda, Stephanie “Health: Life with Lupus.” The Times. 11 Jan 2008. 19 Nov 2010. <Mywebtimes.com>

It is not rare for individuals with lupus to undergo muscle throbs and discomfort or have inflammation of certain muscle groups, which causes faintness and loss of intensity. More than 90 percent of people with lupus will encounter joint and/or muscle pain at some time during the path of their illness. In lupus, the immune system of the body raids its own cells and tissues. Precisely, the joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, nervous system, and other organs of the body are affected. Lupus affects generally 10 times as many women as men. Most often, lupus develops in people 18 to 45 years old. (Lahita) Though lupus is most dominant among women, it also may affect men and children, as well as individuals of all ages. Lupus effects each person

The exact cause for Lupus is unknown; however experts believe that some people are born with certain genes that affect how your immune system works. It appears that people with inherited predisposition for Lupus may develop this disease when they come in contact with “triggers.” Some potential triggers are: sunlight, infections, and medications. Sunlight exposure can lead to Lupus skin lesions, or trigger and internal response in susceptible people. Having an infection can initiate Lupus, or causes a relapse in symptoms. Also some anti-seizure, blood pressure, and antibiotic medications can trigger Lupus. People who have drug induced Lupus noticed their symptoms go away once they stopped taking the

Approximately 1.5 million americans (5 million worldwide) live with lupus, but lupus is more common in women of African American and Native American than Caucasian women. More than 16,000 people are diagnosed with lupus each year. Everyone can get lupus but it’s mostly common in women and the specific type of women is African American women. Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease driven by the inflammation in the immune system. Women of color are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop lupus than a Caucasian women. 90 percent of the people diagnosed with lupus are young women. Black women are diagnosed at much higher rates and are more likely to experience complications from the disease. There should me more research done, they should spend more

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that attacks women between the ages of 15 and 40. It occurs less often in men than in women. The people affected by lupus vary depending on the country or region. In the US alone, the prevalence rate is highest among Asians of Hawaii, blacks of Caribbean origin, and Native Americans of the Sioux, Arapahoe, and Crow tribes. Lupus is a disease that affects the immune system. We can think of the immune system as an army within the body with hundreds of defenders (known as antibodies). They defend the body from attack by germs and viruses. In lupus, however, the immune system becomes overactive and creates antibodies that attack healthy tissues in the body, such as: the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart and brain.

Most experts can agree that there are a number of factors that cause it; the causes of Lupus are from a combination of genetics and the environment. Sometimes people inherit what is called a “genetic predisposition” which means that they inherit the chance to eventually develop it. It is very hard to pinpoint one single source of cause that triggers Lupus like I mentioned before. Things in the environment like UV rays from the sun, or unrelated things like an infection or a pregnancy can trigger it. The symptoms of Lupus range from Extreme fatigue, headaches, photosensitivity, pain/swollen joints, and one clear indicator being a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheek or nose.

Systemic lupus erythematosus, or simply lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease or immune system malfunction. A person's immune system normally protects the person from viruses, bacteria and other foreign materials. When a person has an autoimmune diseases like lupus, the immune system turns against itself and attacks itself.

     There are three different types of Lupus. They are: Discoid, Systematic, and Drug-Induced. Discoid Lupus only effects a persons skin. The only symptom of Discoid Lupus is a rash. Systematic Lupus is the most common form of Lupus. It effects

Seems Lupus is getting disobedient ... It’s time to teach it some discipline. But, before that you have to bring it in your life.

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease marked by its effect on various parts of the body, including the joints, skin, blood, and kidneys. It is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks its own cells and tissues, resulting in pain, inflammation, and often damage to organs. Lupus involves the immune system. The immune system makes antibodies that work to protect the body against foreign substances like viruses and bacteria. Such foreign bodies are called antigens. When a person has lupus, his or her body is unable to determine the difference between antigens and the individual's cells and body tissues. As such, the immune system creates antibodies against the individual's own tissues. These antibodies are called autoantibodies. Depending on the type of lupus, a wide range of symptoms may be experienced, from rashes, hair loss, and achy, swollen joints to fever, anemia, and abnormal blood clotting. Though the disease can affect many parts of the body, individuals usually experience symptoms in only a few organs. There is no known cure for lupus. However,