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For people with lupus, managing the disease is a life-long journey. Lupus refers to a family of autoimmune diseases that can affect different areas of your body, such as your joints, skin, blood vessels and major organs. It causes your immune system to produce antibodies that attack healthy organs and tissues within your body rather than foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses.
Dr. Dean Mayer, a board-certified rheumatologist with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, shares four facts about lupus that people with the autoimmune disorder would like you to know:
1
Lupus symptoms can vary greatly.
There are several different types of lupus. Systemic lupus erythematosus — the most common type of lupus — may involve rashes, painful joint swelling, mouth ulcers and internal organ inflammation. There are also forms of lupus that mainly involve the skin, known as cutaneous lupus.
2
Anyone can get lupus.
More than 1.5 million Americans have lupus. While systemic lupus most often develops in women between ages 15 to 44, men and children can get it too. Women of African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American descent are two to three times more likely to develop the disease.
3
Lupus is not contagious.
You cannot “catch” lupus from someone through any kind of contact, and lupus cannot be sexually transmitted. It is also not a form of cancer; though, like cancer, extreme cases can be treated with chemotherapy.
4
Lupus is treated by a variety of doctors.
A lupus patient’s health care team might consist of a family doctor, rheumatologist (doctor that treats arthritis and joint conditions), nephrologist (kidney specialist), hematologist (blood specialist), dermatologist (skin specialist), neurologist (nervous system specialist), cardiologist (heart specialist), endocrinologist (hormones specialist) and others. For some patients with cutaneous lupus, care is coordinated by a dermatologist.
“Left untreated, active lupus may result in a number of complications, including various symptoms of illness as well as internal organ injury or failure,” says Dr. Mayer. “However, there is effective treatment with medication, which is the best strategy to reduce flares. Patients should talk with their physician about developing an appropriate plan to address their individual needs.”
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