In my search for lupus facts I visited tons of websites there is so much information out about lupus but there are still so many people who know nothing about this disease that affects so many of us everyday. So every fact that I post this month will be facts that I feel are very important for all to understand what others and myself deal with on a daily basis.
Day 1 Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. The immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage.
Day 2 Lupus fact....... There are several forms of lupus Systemic lupus, Cutaneous lupus, drug-induced lupus, and Neonatal lupus!
day 3 Lupus fact part 1 Systemic lupus is the most common form of lupus, and is what most people mean when they refer to "lupus." Systemic lupus can affect any part of your body, and can be mild or severe. Some of the more serious complications involving major organ systems are:inflammation of the kidneys an increase in blood pressure in the lungs inflammation of the heart muscle
hardening of the arteries inflammation of the central nervous system and brain
inflammation of the brain’s blood vessels
day 4 lupus fact Cutaneous lupus is limited to your skin. Although cutaneous lupus can cause many types of rashes and lesions (sores), the most common kind is raised, scaly and red, but not itchy; it is called a discoid rash because the areas of rash are shaped like disks, or circles.Another common example of cutaneous lupus is the rash on the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose, known as the butterfly rash. Hair loss and changes in the pigment, or color, of the skin are also symptoms of cutaneous lupus.
Day 5 lupus fact Mortality for lupus: 10 year survival rate 76-90%; 90% live a normal life span
Day 6 lupus fact women are 9x more likely to develop lupus then men.
Day 7 lupus fact 30 - 50 new cases every year per 100,000 people.
day 8 lupus fact In the USA, roughtly 2 Million people have Lupus. More people have lupus than cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, and MS combined
Day 9 lupus fact 1 out of 600 Caucasian women develop Lupus; 1 out of 200 African-American women develeop Lupus!
Day 10 Lupus fact Drug induced lupus develops after the use of certain drugs or biologics and has symptoms similar to those of SLE. The characteristics of this syndrome are pleuropericardial inflammation, pleuritic chest pain (inflammation of the lining of the lungs), pericarditis (swelling and irritation of the pericardium, the thin sac-like membrane that surrounds the heart), ever, rash, and arthritis. Serologic (Blood) changes can occur.The clinical and serologic signs usually subside gradually after the offending drug is discontinued. A wide variety of drugs is implicated in this form of lupus, including: Drugs Implicated as Activators of Drug-Induced Lupus
Isoniazid
Hydralazine
Procainamide
Minocycline
Anti-TNF biologics
More recently, the newer TNF (tumor necrosis factor) inhibitors used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ankylosing spondylitis have been associated with the development of lupus symptoms. As with lupus triggered by other drugs, the symptoms resolve when the agent is stopped.
