Who Is Affected By Lupus The Most?
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, approximately 1.5 million people in the U.S. have lupus. People of African, Asian, and Native American descent are more likely to develop lupus than are Caucasians. Although it can occur in both men and women, 90% of people diagnosed with the disease are women. Women of childbearing age (14 to 45 years old) are most often affected and as many as 1 in 250 people may develop lupus.
READ: Lupus: Symptoms You May Have Missed
What Other Symptoms & Risks Are Involved?
Common symptoms of lupus include extreme fatigue, painful or swollen joints, unexplained fever, and skin rashes. Lupus can lead to arthritis, kidney failure, heart and lung inflammation, central nervous system abnormalities, inflammation of the blood vessels and blood disorders. Inflammation causes swelling, pain, and tissue damage throughout the body. If you develop severe lupus, you may have problems with your kidneys, heart, lungs, nervous system, or blood cells.
Severe sickness usually results from the most serious forms of the disease. More often, quality of life is challenged by symptoms like fatigue and joint pains, which are not life threatening. Several unspecified topical therapies had been prescribed during this time although none had resulted in clinical improvement
READ: Can Lupus Affect The Brain?
Can Lupus Be Spread To Others?
Lupus is not contagious. However, conditions such as neonatal lupus syndrome may occur when an infant is born to a mother who has autoantibodies in her blood during the pregnancy. The baby may develop skin lesions, which usually resolve by six months. Neonatal lupus is highly associated with maternal anti-Ro (usually also with anti-La) antibodies, although the rash may occur with anti-RNP antibodies.
Seal: A Lesson In Lupus was originally published on blackdoctor.org
