What Is Lupus?

Answer:

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease marked by its effect on various parts of the body, including the joints, skin, blood, and kidneys. It is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks its own cells and tissues, resulting in pain, inflammation, and often damage to organs.

Normally, a person's immune system works by producing immunity cells and antibodies, special substances that fight germs and infections. But when a person has lupus, the immune system goes into overdrive and can't tell the difference between some of the body's normal, healthy cells and germs that can cause infection. So the immune system responds by making autoantibodies that attack the body's normal cells.

There are many kinds of lupus. The most common type, systemic lupus erythematosus, affects many parts of the body. Discoid lupus causes a rash that doesn't go away. Subacute cutaneous lupus causes sores after being out in the sun. Another type can be caused by medication. Neonatal lupus, which is rare, affects newborns.

Lupus affects about 1.5 million Americans; nearly 90% of those diagnosed with the disease are female.

For many people, the disease is mild and affects only a few organs. For others, however, the disease can be severe and even life threatening.