Who is at risk for SLE? SLE can affect people of all ages, including children. However, women of childbearing ages—15 to 44 years—are at greatest risk of developing SLE. Women of all ages are affected far more than men (estimates range from 4 to 12 women for every 1 man).
Race: Lupus is two to three times more common in African-American women than in Caucasian women. It's also more common in Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women. African-American and Hispanic women are more likely to have severe forms of lupus.
Anyone can get lupus; however, women get the disease about nine times more often than men. Most often it happens in people between ages 15 and 45 years, but lupus can occur in childhood or later in life as well.
An infection, a cold or a viral illness. An injury, particularly traumatic injury. Emotional stress, such as a divorce, illness, death in the family, or other life complications. Anything that causes stress to the body, such as surgery, physical harm, pregnancy, or giving birth.
Anyone can get lupus. But it affects women 10 times more often than men. Aside from being female, your odds of getting the disease are higher if you are: African-American, Latino, or Asian.
About 20,000 people in Australia and New Zealand have lupus. About 9 in 10 are women and the majority develop the condition between 15 and 45 years.
Although doctors haven't proven that stress is a direct cause of lupus, it's known to trigger flare-ups in people who already have the disease. Stressful events that can make symptoms worse include: A death in the family. Divorce.
The most common lupus symptoms (which are the same for men and women) are: Extreme fatigue (feeling tired all the time) Pain or swelling in the joints. Swelling in the hands, feet, or around the eyes.
Although lupus is not preventable, people with lupus can take steps to manage their disease and prevent or minimize lupus flares: It's important for people with lupus to take their medications as directed by their health care providers.
You may experience pain and stiffness, with or without swelling. This affects most people with lupus. Common areas for muscle pain and swelling include the neck, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms. Fever.
Over the course of the disease, non-genetic factors seem to play a more important role. By and large, SLE is more frequent and more severe with higher disease activity and more damage accrual in non-Caucasian populations (Hispanics, African descendants and Asians) than in Caucasians.
The prognosis of lupus is better today than ever before. With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span.
Unfortunately, we don't understand why certain people develop lupus and others don't. While genetics and family history does play some role, lupus is not considered an inherited disease. Since neither your father, nor your mother has it, you are much less likely to get it than you may think.
Studies suggest that there is an increased risk of developing lupus if a family member has been diagnosed. The majority of lupus cases that develop are referred to as sporadic, which means no known relative has the disease.
Most likely, yes. Most babies born to mothers with lupus are healthy. Rarely, infants are born with a condition called neonatal lupus. Certain antibodies found in the mother can cause neonatal lupus.
People with lupus are more likely to experience infection and infection-related complications. This is because their immune system is weakened by both the disease and the medication used to treat it. The most common infections for people with lupus include those of the respiratory tract, skin and urinary system.
If your symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are mild or well-controlled, you may find it barely affects your day-to-day life and that you do not have any complications. However, for some people, SLE can be a more serious condition that can cause life-threatening complications.
On average, it takes nearly six years for people with lupus to be diagnosed, from the time they first notice their lupus symptoms.
No one test can diagnose lupus. The combination of blood and urine tests, signs and symptoms, and physical examination findings leads to the diagnosis.
Blood and urine tests.
The antinuclear antibody (ANA) test can show if your immune system is more likely to make the autoantibodies of lupus. Most people with lupus test positive for ANA.
People with lupus may experience unpredictable changes in moods and personality traits. This can include feelings of anger and irritability. These may be related to the disease process or, in some cases, the use of corticosteroid medications.
It can occur suddenly or appear after exposure to sunlight. Sometimes the rash appears just before a flare-up. Lupus can also cause non-itchy lesions in other areas of the body.
Lupus can directly affect thinking, mood, and personality. When it has these effects, it is called neuropsychiatric lupus. Symptoms of neuropsychiatric lupus include: Cognitive dysfunction: Refers to a variety of related experiences, including forgetfulness, worry, mistrust, and a general difficulty in thinking.