Lupus Awareness Month

This is the end of the Month but I just had to touch on something that is near and dear to my heart. As most of you know that I have LUPUS so I have to put some information about Lupus on my blog. to Help keep in Mind that October is LUPUS Awareness Month!

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Normally the body's immune system 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 like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself. These antibodies -- called "auto-antibodies" (auto means 'self') -- cause inflammation, pain and damage in various parts of the body.

Inflammation is considered the primary feature of lupus. Inflammation, which in Latin means "set on fire," is characterized by pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, either on the inside or on the outside of the body (or both).

For most people, lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems. Although epidemiological data on lupus is limited, studies suggest that more than 16,000 Americans develop lupus each year.

Some of the symptoms one can have... (highlighted are mine)
Achy joints / arthralgia (95 percent)
Fever of more than 100 degrees F / 38 degrees C (90 percent)
Arthritis / swollen joints (90 percent)
Prolonged or extreme fatigue (81 percent)
Skin Rashes (74 percent)
Anemia (71 percent)
Kidney Involvement (50 percent)
Pain in the chest on deep breathing / pleurisy (45 percent)
Butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose (42 percent)
Sun or light sensitivity / photosensitivity (30 percent)
Hair loss (27 percent)
Abnormal blood clotting problems (20 percent)
Raynaud's phenomenon / fingers turning white and/or blue in the cold (17 percent)
Seizures (15 percent)
Mouth or nose ulcers (12 percent)