Can anybody explain what is lupus? In an understanding format?

Question

A very close friend of mine passed away Saturday of Lupus. Just want to get a good understanding of what the disease is all about?

Answer 1

Lupu is an autoimmune disease. Like all autoimmune diseases they react differently in different individuals with different symptoms. An autoimmune disorder means that the bodies natural immune system which produces antibodies that are suppose to become attack and kill invading viruses and bacteria become hyperactive and mistakes healthy normal tissue as an invader.

No one is sure what causes the intitial trigger but most autoimmune disorders tend to run in families. There is no cure for autoimmune disorders but with treatment and dilligence people are living longer lives.

The immune system can mistake any type of cell for an invader and end up attacking blood cells, nerves, and organs causing tissue damage that can lead to blood clots, organ failure, strokes, paralysis etc. An autoimmune disorder is created inside the immune system and the "miswired" antibodies cannot be destroyed the most they can be is supressed. Auto immune disorders are long term and generally death is due to the continued weakening of organs or a "catestrophic" incidences. Alot of people with Lupus as a primary immune disorder have Hughes Syndrome as a secondary immune disorder which attacks the blood cells and causes clotting that can cause stokes or interfere it organ functioning.

I am sorry about your friend.

Also check out http://www.uklupus.co.uk/ and http://www.hughes-syndrome.org/

Answer 2

I have had Lupus my whole life but wasn't diagnosed until I was 17.

Over the years, I have looked for a good way to describe Lupus to people and here's the best I've come up with.

Lupus is an auto-immune disease. My immune system has mistaken my organs and joints (and tissue and cells) for something that needs to be destroyed - like a virus or a cold. The immune system is so busy attacking my own body that it doesn't always attack the things that it should. That means that sometimes when I get a cold, it hits me twice as hard as most people.

Because of the nature of Lupus, there are good days and bad days. I have never actually been in remission; my disease is always active. There are still good days and bad days. My joints ache daily. Not a day goes by that I am not in some kind of pain, it's just different degrees of pain. I know that I can go from having a bladder infection to a kidney infection in less than 6 hours - and need IV antibiotics to get better.

Everyone's Lupus effects them differently and that's part of what makes Lupus so difficult to live with. No two people have the exact same symptoms. And because of the nature of the disease, it is ever changing. One day certain organs can be effected and another day it can be something different. Some people with Lupus can have children, some cannot. Some people need a kidney transplant, some do not. Some people have seizures and some do not.

There's not enough said or done about Lupus. You hear all the time about breast cancer awareness and next to nothing about Lupus... it's very sad - especially considering the number of people that have Lupus. More people have Lupus than AIDS, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, sickle-cell anemia and cystic fibrosis combined.

The best site for good information about Lupus and Lupus awareness is www.lupus.org.

Good luck and I am very sorry to hear about your friend.

Answer 3

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that is debilitating and, as you found, can be fatal in some cases. Lupus causes the bodies immune system to begin attacking organs and tissues. Basically the immune system becomes confused and thinks that the healthy tissue in the body is a foreign invader (e.g. a virus or bacteria) so the immune system does what it's supposed to do and attacks which results in inflamation and tissue damage.

Lupus can effect any part of the body but most often it effects the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system. The course the disease will take is unpredictable with cycles of remission followed by the disease flaring back up. Lupus can appear in anyone at any age, though it's usually women who have it. Lupus is, at present, incurable. The only thing that can really be done is to treat the symptoms as they occur.

By the way, I'm sorry about the loss of your friend. Maybe one day a cure will be found so others wont have to experience the same thing.


EDIT: The previous poster beat me to it. Drat! ;)

Answer 4

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RE:
Can anybody explain what is lupus? In an understanding format?
A very close friend of mine passed away Saturday of Lupus. Just want to get a good understanding of what the disease is all about?

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Lupus is a disease that is usually found in women but sometimes also found in men.

Lupus is when someones immune system turns against them and no longer defends invading organisms entering the body. They are not really sure of the cause of Lupus. Lupus is usually genetic though.
There are four different forms of Lupus. I am not sure which one your friend passed away from, but what I have said so far is the basic definition of Lupus.

Answer 7

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. When your body becomes sick, like from a cold or whatnot, your immune system fights it. In simple terms, lupus makes your body fight it TOO much, causing sort of an overdose of white blood cells and whatnot. It causes weak muscles, and sometimes strokes and reoccuring seizures. It basically makes the sufferer tired most of the time and barely have any strength.
A lot of the time people live a healthy lifespan. Sometimes, they don't.

One of my best friends, who's only 13 has it. =[

Answer 8

I am a big quiet guy too. People listen when I speak because they know I don't necessarily talk much and when I do I have something to say. I am also usually the smartest guy in the room. That could be a factor too. If you don't have a reputation for punching people in the face who interrupt you then I would say that people really think that when you talk it is worth listening to.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

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