What Is Lupus?

Lupus is caused by an overactive immune system that attacks healthy tissue. This chronic inflammatory ailment prevents the human immune system from differentiating between healthy tissue and antigens (anything that prompts your immune system to produce antibodies). Common antigens include bacteria and viruses.

Lupus tells antibodies to attack both healthy cells and antigens, and the resultant symptoms can be severe:

• Inflammation
• Swelling
• Joint and muscle pain
• Sores in and around the mouth
• Extreme fatigue
• Rashes around the nose and cheeks
• Headaches
• Fevers
• Hair loss

Lupus has the potential to attack healthy tissue in many areas of the body, including muscles, joints, blood, and major organs such as the heart and the liver. 

Unfortunately, lupus symptoms are easily confused with the symptoms of other conditions. This makes diagnosing the disease extremely difficult for even the most experienced clinicians. However, one tell-tale sign of lupus is a rash across the cheeks – in the shape of a butterfly’s wing.

There are several types of lupus, and each version has its own set of symptoms. Moreover, certain people experience their own particular set of symptoms — some of which can be temporary.

For example, subacute cutaneous lupus often appears during or after exposure to direct sunlight. There’s also a version of the disease linked to the use of certain medications. 

Despite a lot of research into this autoimmune condition, little is known about the causes of lupus. However, there is a theory that the disease is brought on by a combination of factors linked to the environment, hormones, and genetics.