Lupus: A Long-Term Autoimmune Disease With Many Symptoms

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), usually just called lupus, is the most common type of lupus. It is:

• an autoimmune disease: the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy cells and tissues, causing inflammation and damage to organs and systems;
• a long-term (chronic) disease that affects many parts of the body.

It has many possible signs and symptoms, from mild to life-threatening, which makes it hard for doctors to diagnose. There is no cure, but it can be treated, and the earlier it is diagnosed, the better it can be treated and managed.

Causes

The causes are not known, but they may be linked to a person's environment, family history (genetics) or hormones. Having a close relative with lupus may raise your risk slightly, but most people with lupus have no family members who have it.

Diagnosis

Lupus is hard to diagnose because its symptoms are often mistaken for those of other diseases. A rheumatologist, a doctor who specialises in painful conditions of the joints, muscles and connective tissues, can diagnose it. There is no single test; the doctor will most likely discuss your symptoms, examine you, take X-rays and run laboratory tests.

Treatment

Symptoms vary widely, so treatment depends on each person's symptoms and needs. Its goals are to manage symptoms, prevent flares (worsening of symptoms), stop or delay damage to joints and organs, and reduce inflammation.

• A team. Because lupus has so many symptoms, and people with it may have other autoimmune conditions too, a team may work together: primary care providers, rheumatologists, pain specialists and physical therapists.
• Medicines that suppress the immune system are the main treatment, among them hydroxychloroquine (also used against malaria); corticosteroids such as prednisone, which reduce inflammation and act on the immune system; and biologics (medicines made from living organisms) such as belimumab and rituximab.

To manage symptoms, see a doctor regularly, take medicines as prescribed, and follow your treatment plan.

Living well with lupus

Healthy choices help: being physically active, eating healthy foods, getting plenty of rest, not smoking, and using sunscreen and avoiding too much sun. Self-management education can teach the skills to handle daily activities, take medicines as prescribed, talk with doctors, improve energy and manage pain.

Some things make lupus worse, bringing more flares and possibly a higher risk of death: lack of access to health care, a diagnosis that comes long after the disease began, and not following a treatment plan.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Lupus Basics." https://www.cdc.gov/lupus/about/index.html
• A stock photograph of a tired woman is not reproduced here.