What is Lupus?
Lupus is a lifelong autoimmune disease – meaning your immune system attacks healthy tissue and organs, instead of just fighting off germs like it’s supposed to.
This can cause pain, inflammation and tissue damage to any organ in the body.
Lupus is not cancer and it’s not something you can catch.
How can this affect me?
While anyone can develop lupus,
more than 90% of people with
lupus are women.
Black and Latino women are
2-3x more likely to develop
lupus.
Most people with lupus develop the disease between the ages
of 15-44.
There are many challenges to reaching a
lupus diagnosis. It can often take years,
because its symptoms mimic many
other illnesses.
Getting an early diagnosis of lupus is
critical to preventing long-term
consequences of the disease.
What are some of the symptoms of lupus?
Lupus symptoms can show up in many different ways. Sometimes they appear out of the blue, and sometimes they can linger. Each person’s experience is unique, so your symptoms may not be the same as someone you know who has been diagnosed with lupus. Below are some of the most common signs and symptoms of lupus:
Pain or swelling
in your joints
Extreme
fatigue
Pain in your chest when
you take a deep breath
A rash across
your face
Low-grade fevers
you can’t explain
Recurring sores
in your mouth
Any of these sound familiar?
Or maybe you are experiencing other symptoms we didn’t list. Experiencing symptoms doesn’t guarantee that you have lupus. But it does mean you’ve got to listen to your body because it’s trying to tell you something.
So it’s time for you to take control.
Ok, deep breaths, there are things you can do, let’s get going.