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Lupus is an autoimmune disease, or type of self-allergy, whereby the patient's immune system creates antibodies which instead of protecting the body from bacteria, viruses and other foreign matter attack the person's own body tissues. This causes symptoms of extreme fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, anaemia, general malaise, and possibly destruction of vital organs.
Lupus mainly attacks women during their child-bearing years (ages 15-50) but men and even young children can be affected. It is estimated that 1 in 750 women suffer from lupus in the UK, with the ratio of women to men being 9:1. Lupus is a worldwide disease more common in some races than others. The incidence in white women is 1 in 1000 compared with that in black women of 1 in 250, and Asian races also have a higher tendency to lupus. Only 10% of lupus patients are male.
Although few people have heard of lupus, worldwide it is acknowledged as being more common than leukaemia, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis, which due to extensive publicity have become household names.
Lupus can present in a bewildering number of ways, even to the extent of mimicking other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis or ME. With the variety of presentations, lupus is difficult to diagnose and it can be overlooked, often for years, unless the GP or consultant is alert to its possibilities. Many a time the patient has been told ‘it's all in the mind’ A further problem the patient faces is that she or he can look quite well, eg "healthy" red cheeks are often in evidence.
Lupus is neither infectious nor contagious - the cause is not known though research has provided evidence implicating heredity, hormones and infections, including viruses. The disease lies dormant in the body until some trigger from outside the body sets the process in motion.
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©Andy Taylor. Last updated 13 Mar 2001