It is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that can affect nerves, kidneys and joints, causing severe damage and severe pain. It is chronic because symptoms can last longer than 6 weeks and last for many years.
The starting point is the immune system that fights viruses and bacteria through proteins called antibodies that protect the body from external elements. The immune system stops recognizing external invaders from healthy tissues that are being attacked. From here, inflammation and pain arise that involve various parts of the body.
Women are affected more than men with a ratio of 1 to 9. There are genetic factors that affect it but it is a disease that cannot be defined as hereditary. It is hardly contracted by several members of the same family.
Fever and fatigue associated with skin irritation could be symptoms of this immune system abnormality affecting joints and kidneys
Lupus is a health problem that affects the whole world. In fact, 5 million people suffer from it and there is no race, age or ethnicity that is immune to it. The heart, lungs, kidneys and brain are hit very hard by several factors acting at the same time. Sun exposure, infections, drugs, hormones, are all enemies that, by coalescing, could cause the immune system to work more than necessary. In these cases, healthy cells and tissues could be attacked, damaging the strong parts of the body.
It is understandable that it is not easy to make a diagnosis, the symptoms, as we have seen, can be varied. It can present, for example, with fever and fatigue associated with skin irritations. A particular type of erythema, called “butterfly”, could arouse suspicion. Blood in the urine, nephritis, anemia and joint pain, however, could be symptoms of numerous other diseases.
Diagnosis occurs through the study of diverse clinical data and the manifestations of certain changes. Rashes on the skin, photosensitivityoral ulcers, renal and haematological disorders are important signals.
A particular day
For years, May 10 has been a special day for those suffering from this disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE impacts people around the world. The dedicated World Day aims to raise public awareness of the need to improve health services and research. Proper diagnosis and treatment can be decisive and save numerous lives. In Italy, up to 2000 new cases of lupus are recorded every year.
The various organizations around the world come together to find the resources needed to combat this crippling and potentially fatal disease. The World Lupus Federation is the coalition of organizations representing lupus patients. The goals are to increase the number of global initiatives, gain greater awareness, offer support to people struggling with the disease.
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