Lupus (LOO-puhss) is a disease in which the body attacks its own healthy tissues and organs. It can damage the joints, skin, kidneys, and other parts of the body. No one knows for sure what causes lupus. But some groups of people have higher rates of lupus. African-American women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women. African-American women tend to develop lupus at a younger age and have more severe symptoms than white women.
The signs of lupus differ from person to person. Some people have just a few signs, while others have more. Common symptoms include:
Joint pain and stiffness, with or without swelling
Purple or pale fingers or toes from cold or stress
Seizures
Sores in the mouth or nose (usually painless)
Severe headache
Dizzy spells
"Seeing things," not able to judge reality
Feeling sad
Strokes
Having lupus can cause serious health problems. So it's important to have lupus symptoms checked by a doctor. Lupus has no cure. But treatment can ease symptoms and prevent or reduce damage caused by lupus.
Lupus Fact Sheet - This fact sheet provides information on lupus, a disease that affects your immune system. It explains who is at risk for lupus, the different types of lupus, its signs and symptoms, and how it is diagnosed and treated. It also provides information on how to cope with the pain and stress of having lupus and whom to contact for more information.
Could I Have Lupus? - This interactive website provides information about lupus, including risk factors, symptoms, and treatment. It features diaries from women who have shared their stories on how they have dealt with the disease. You can also express your opinions or ask questions on the community forum.
Lupus - This collection of website links addresses lupus — what it is, who gets it, and how it affects the body. You can also find information on different types of lupus, read the latest news on lupus, and connect to different organizations to read more about it.
Lupus Guide - These patient information sheets are excerpts from Lupus: A Patient Guide for Nurses and Other Health Professionals. The patient information sheets in this chapter cover a range of topics about lupus and lupus medications and can help with this aspect of patient care. It includes a total of 20 patient information sheets.
A federal government website managed by the
Office on Women's Health
in the
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
at the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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