Working for a cure
in our life time
Toll Free: 800-458-8211
Fax: 850-478-0451
E-mail: info@lupuspensacola.com
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Working for a cure
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Toll Free: 800-458-8211 Fax: 850-478-0451 E-mail: info@lupuspensacola.com |
FAQ
More people have lupus than AIDS, Sickle-cell Anemia, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis and Cystic Fibrosis combined.
African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asians are more likely to have lupus than the general population.
Lupus is 10 to 15 times more likely to strike women than men.
1 out of every 185 Americans has lupus.
Lupus is not a visible disease and often takes years to diagnose properly.
There is no cure for lupus but there is treatment and with research there is hope.
What is lupus?
Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) is an autoimmune disease, in which a person's immune system attacks its own tissues as though they were foreign substances. It can cause inflammation, pain and tissue damage and affect various parts of the body - especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys.
The body's immune system normally makes proteins called antibodies to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens. In an autoimmune disorder such as lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances (antigens) and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against "self." These antibodies, called "auto-antibodies," react with the "self" antigens to form immune complexes. The immune complexes build up in the tissues and can cause inflammation, injury to tissues, and pain. If someone developed serious lupus, he or she might have problems with his or her kidneys, heart, lungs, and/or blood cells.
Is Lupus contagious?
NO. Lupus can not be passed to anyone. Being an auto-immune disease, something in a Lupus patient’s body goes awry and the auto-immune does not function normally.
Is Lupus a form of cancer?
NO. This is a misconception. Lupus is an auto-immune disease.
Is Lupus fatal?
Lupus can be fatal, but with proper diagnosis and treatment, most lupus patients do quite well. Deaths from lupus are seen most often in patients with major organ involvement and then it is a rare occurrence.
I have a positive ANA. Does this mean I have Lupus?
NO. Many people have a positive ANA and don’t have Lupus. Though most Lupus patients have a positive ANA, there ANA titer will normally be higher than those with a positive ANA who don’t have Lupus. No single test can determine whether a person has lupus, but several laboratory tests may help the doctor to make a diagnosis.
Why is Lupus so difficult to diagnose?
Making a correct diagnosis of lupus requires knowledge and awareness on the part of the doctor and good communication on the part of the patient. Giving the doctor a complete, accurate medical history (for example, what health problems you have had and for how long) is critical to the process of diagnosis. This information, along with a physical examination and the results of laboratory tests, helps the doctor consider other diseases that may mimic lupus, or determine if the patient truly has the disease. Reaching a diagnosis may take time as new symptoms appear.