by Elspeth Raisbeck

Created on: August 28, 2011

Lupus is a complex disease.  Here, we’re going to look at what it is, the possible causes, symptoms, diagnosis procedures and the prognosis for sufferers.  There are links for further reading at the end of this article.

What is lupus?

SLE or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (say ‘erith-emm-atto-suss) is the commonest type of lupus and is an autoimmune disorder.  An autoimmune disease is one in which the body attacks its own tissues because it thinks they are foreign to it.  This means it can damage different parts of the body at different times – joints, blood vessels, skin and organs.  There’s a spectrum of severity - it may be mild or severe enough to cause death, but everyone’s experience of it is unique.

It’s much more common in women than men (10:1), mainly occurring in the 10-30 years age group, and is also more common in Afro-Caribbean and Asian people.

What are the causes of SLE?

As with many diseases, lupus is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic factors and environmental ones. 

The genetic factors are ones you’re born with, and in this case it’s a tendency to the disease, especially if a close relative has/has had it.

The environmental factors are those which flick the genetic switch and make the disease show itself.  Without these factors a person with a genetic tendency wouldn’t develop the disease.  Doctors do know that a few drugs can trigger it – griseofulvin, procainamide and hydralazine – in some individuals, but otherwise the environmental triggers aren’t well understood.

The symptoms of lupus.

As we said above, the disease affects different parts of the body at different times so every patient will have different symptoms.  However most people have some degree of:

fever

feeling generally unwell and out of sorts (doctors call this malaise)

fatigue/great tiredness

weight loss.

Other symptoms include:

Joint pain and swelling

Some people get arthritis in the fingers, hands, wrists, and knees

Chest pain when taking a deep breath

Hair loss

Mouth sores

Sensitivity to sunlight

Skin rash - a "butterfly" rash over the cheeks and nose

Swollen lymph nodes.

The diagnosis of lupus.

Diagnosing lupus can be frustrating.  A good doctor will listen to your symptoms and make a thorough physical examination.  S/he should ask about your medical and medication history and will probably order a lot of blood tests.  You may

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