Lupus

Lupus can affect the joints

Lupus is a disease that can affect many parts of the body and occurs when the immune system - the body's natural defence against infections - goes wrong.

It is estimated that about 50,000 people in the UK may have lupus, of whom 90% will be female.

What is the cause?

The exact cause is not known, but certain triggers, such as viral infections and changes in hormone levels at puberty, the menopause and following pregnancy, have been linked to lupus.

Often other family members will also have lupus or other immune system-related illnesses, known autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

In lupus the immune system becomes overactive and produces an excess of antibodies that harm the body itself.

Lupus is not infectious or contagious.

What are the symptoms?

The two most common groups of symptoms are joint and muscle aches and pains and extreme fatigue and weakness.

With systemic lupus, almost any part of the body can be affected so there are many other symptoms that can arise.

The skin may have a rash, characteristically a so-called "butterfly rash" that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose.

Often, the rash is made worse by exposure to sunlight.

If a rash is the only symptom a person has then this form of lupus is called cutaneous or discoid lupus.

In comparison, a person with systemic lupus (sometimes called systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE) may also experience dry eyes, hair loss, chest and abdominal pains, depression, kidney problems, headaches, flu-like symptoms, swollen glands and poor circulation.

Women with lupus may also experience recurrent miscarriages.

What is the outlook?

Some people with lupus have only minor symptoms that need no treatment. Others can have multiple symptoms that are severe.

The course of the disease is different for each person. In some it will disappear completely, for others the condition waxes and wanes or gets progressively worse.

Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms and disease pattern varies so much from person to person.

However, there are blood tests available to help spot the condition.

Decades ago people used to die from lupus, partly because it was often diagnosed late and partly because treatments were not as effective as they are today.

Now most people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span.

How can it be treated?

The aim of treatment is to relieve the symptoms and prevent permanent damage to organs such as the kidney.

Some patients are given low dose aspirin to help ease the joint and muscle pains and reduce any inflammation.

Anti-malaria drugs also help with the inflammation and have the added bonus of helping to guard the skin against rashes triggered by exposure to sunlight.

Immunosuppressant drugs can be used to dampen down the overactive immune response, as can steroids.

People with lupus may be more likely to develop other medical conditions such as blood clots, osteoporosis and coronary artery disease.

Drugs are available to help treat these.

Those with lupus can also help themselves by avoiding direct sunlight and getting plenty of rest, as well as following a healthy lifestyle in general, with a well balanced diet and regular exercise.