What is Lupus?

Answer 1

Lupus is a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disease in which the immune system, for unknown reasons, becomes hyperactive and attacks normal tissue. This attack results in inflammation and brings about symptoms.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. The body's immune system normally 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 such as lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances (antigens) and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against "self." These antibodies, called "auto-antibodies," react with the "self" antigens to form immune complexes. The immune complexes build up in the tissues and can cause inflammation, injury to tissues, and pain.

Answer 5

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that is potentially debilitating and sometimes fatal as the immune system attacks the body’s cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. SLE can affect any part of the body, but most often harms the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system. The course of the disease is unpredictable, with periods of illness (called flares) alternating with remission. Lupus can occur at any age, but is most common in women and particularly non-Caucasian women. Lupus is treatable symptomatically, mainly with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, though as of 2007 there is no cure. The origins of the name are uncertain, but may derive from a characteristic reddish rash that purportedly resembles a wolf's face.

Answer 6

Lupus erythematosus is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease of connective tissue. The more widespread form of the disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), involves the skin & other organs. The disciod form (DLE) involves only the skin. It is seen as rough, raised, violet tinted papules, usually limited to the face & scalp. There may also be a butterfly-shaped rash across the nose & cheeks. The skin lesions of Lupus are made worse by exposure to U.V. in sunlight. more common in women & higher incidence among Asians & blacks.

Answer 7

The immune system is designed to attack foreign substances in the body. If you have lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system and it attacks healthy cells and tissues. This can damage many parts of the body such as the:

Joints
Skin
Kidneys
Heart
Lungs
Blood vessels
Brain.

Answer 8

Lupus is an auto immune disorder that comes in many forms from mild and fairly harmless to life threatening.
There are medical tests that can narrow down the possibilities but from what I understand it is hard to diagnose...

Answer 9

Here is another good site to search for additional information about Lupus. Everyone has answered well for you so far. http://health.divinfo.com/

Answer 10

My friend is dying from Lupus, everyone above me is right and what sucks is that there is no cure for it :(