by Jennifer Boyd

Created on: May 30, 2011   Last Updated: July 05, 2011

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, this means that your immune system cannot distinguish between your body’s tissues and organs and any anomalies such as bacteria or a virus. Since the immune system cannot differentiate between the two it attacks everything, including its own system. This causes many sufferers chronic inflammation that may eventually lead to damage or destroy the affected organs and tissues completely.

The causes of Lupus are unknown. There are several theories as to cause but nothing definitive has ever been found. Some scientists believe that it is possible to be predisposed genetically to lupus. If several of your close relatives have lupus the chance of you having the same disease is at a higher level than those who do not have family with the disease. Another theory that is being thrown around is that lupus can be caused by environmental forces, stress, sunlight, or medications you are using. Lupus has been described as “flipping a switch” one minute nothing is wrong then flip, and there it is.

Statistically women are more often the gender that has lupus. It does not discriminate against men, as some to will have the disease. The age ranges that most commonly get lupus are those in the 15-44 age range. It of course still possible to get lupus at any age that is just the range that it happens more frequently in. It has also been noted by scientist that the reason they believe women get lupus more often than men is due to the hormones women have. African American women are also three times more likely to get lupus then Caucasian women. Statistically it is more common for almost all other races than Caucasian to get lupus and no one knows why.

There is no cure for lupus, in most cases it can be managed sufficiently that it is not an inhibiting fact to a somewhat normal life style. Lupus is not usually considered a fatal disease and with early diagnosis, regular medical treatment along with a treatment plan your life will continue as normally as possible. It is a scary disease but it is also a manageable one and it should not stop you from living your life the way you so choose.

A lupus treatment plan in most cases will be personalized to each individual as to type, severity, age, your medical history and if you have any other medical conditions. You and your doctor will settle on the right treatment plan for you which could include: a lifestyle change, your diet, medications and limiting your exposure to sunlight. Some of those with lupus have sensitivity to sunlight that can cause skin irritation, Medications can also be utilized to relieve the pain of the joint inflammation and to suppress your abnormal immune system functions.

Lupus is indeed a hard disease, but if caught early enough and treated correctly it is a possibility that it will hardly be noticeable in your daily life. The key to anything in life is to think positively and having Lupus does not mean you have to stop thinking positively or living your life they way you choose to.

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