Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that attacks multiple systems in your body. It can affect a variety of systems like your skin, lungs, kidneys, and joints by causing inflammation in those areas. There are periods of time where the disease is active. This is called a “flare”. During flares, some things you may experience are:
- The “butterfly rash” on your nose and cheeks
- Painful, inflamed, and swollen joints
- Low fever
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Fingers and toes that turn blue or white when exposed to cold temperatures or stress
There are also times where there may not be any symptoms present and the disease is in “remission” after being managed. However, this is a chronic illness which means that there is no cure and it must be treated for the entirety of a person’s life.
Having lupus puts you at risk for other serious illnesses like lupus nephritis. This is where the kidneys become inflamed and lose their ability to function properly. It could lead to the need for replacement surgery (like it did with Selena Gomez). During pregnancy, you may also be more at risk for blood clots, miscarriage, and complications.
Lupus is not contagious and cannot be passed to others. Having someone in your family with lupus can increase the likelihood of you developing it too. The definite cause of lupus isn’t known yet, but we do know that you must have the genes and be exposed to something in your environment to develop the disorder.
Each case of lupus varies from person to person, so some people may experience certain symptoms and not others. It’s difficult to diagnose because it can appear to be something different (like another autoimmune disorder) at first. For example, I learned that both psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis cause inflammation of the joints. Over time, those conditions can cause permanent joint damage. With lupus, my joints get inflamed, but will most likely not become damaged even after years of it happening.
There are a variety of treatments for lupus and they will probably change from when you are first diagnosed and throughout the years to come as your condition progresses. It’s also a trial and error process to see what works and what doesn’t specifically for your body. Sometimes you may have an allergic reaction to a medication or it may not be effective, so you’ll have to try something new in order to keep your lupus under control. It’s all part of the process. There will definitely be lifestyle changes, but the good thing is it is something you can learn to live with and you can still lead a long full life.