What Black Women Should
Know About Lupus
Do You or Someone
You Know Have Signs of Lupus?
Lupus is a serious
health problem that affects mainly young women. The disease
often starts between the ages of 15 and 44.
People of all races
may get lupus. However, lupus is three times more common in
black women than in white women.
As many as 1 in
250 young black women will get the disease.
What Is Lupus?
Lupus is a disease
that can affect many parts of the body. It can affect the joints,
the skin, the kidneys, the lungs, the heart, or the brain. Only
a few of these parts of the body are affected in most people.
Something goes wrong
with the body's immune system in lupus. We can think of the
immune system as an army within the body with hundreds of defenders
(known as antibodies).
They defend the body
from attack by germs and viruses. In lupus, however, the immune
system becomes overactive and goes out of control. The antibodies
attack healthy tissues in the body. This attack induces inflammation,
causing redness, pain, and swelling in the affected parts of
the body. This tendency for the immune system to become overactive
may run in families.
What Does a Person
With
Lupus Look Like?
Many people with
lupus look healthy.
What Are the Signs
of Lupus?
The signs of lupus
differ from one person to another. Some people have just a few
signs of the disease; others have more. Lupus may be hard to
diagnose. It is often mistaken for other diseases. For this
reason, lupus has often been called the "great imitator."
Common Signs of
Lupus Are:
- Red rash or color
change on the face, often in
the shape of a butterfly across the bridge of the
nose and the cheeks
- Painful or swollen
joints
- Unexplained fever
- Chest pain with
breathing
- Unusual loss of
hair
- Pale or purple
fingers or toes from cold or stress
- Sensitivity to
the sun
- Low blood count
These signs are
more important when they occur together.
Other signs of lupus
can include mouth sores, unexplained "fits" or convulsions,
hallucinations or depression, repeated miscarriages, and unexplained
kidney problems.
What Causes Lupus?
We don't know what
causes the immune system to become overactive. In some people,
lupus becomes active after exposure to sunlight, infections,
or certain medications.
Can You Catch Lupus
From Someone Else?
No, lupus is not
catching. You can't give it to someone else. Also, it is not
a form of cancer. It is not AIDS.
Does Lupus Run in
Families?
Most relatives of
lupus patients do not develop the disease, but in some families
more than one member gets lupus. If a relative of a lupus patient
develops signs of lupus, she or he should see a doctor.
How Serious Is Lupus?
Signs of lupus tend
to come and go. There are times when the disease quiets down,
or goes into remission. At other times, lupus flares up, or
becomes active. Years ago many people with lupus died. Now with
good medical care most people with the disease can lead active,
productive, and fulfilling lives.
Are There Different
Kinds of Lupus?
There are three major
types of lupus: (1) lupus that affects certain parts of the
body (systemic lupus erythematosus), (2) lupus mainly of the
skin (discoid or cutaneous lupus), and (3) lupus caused by medicine
(drug-induced lupus).
Systemic lupus erythematosus,
sometimes called SLE, is the most serious form of the disease.
This type of lupus is the focus of this booklet. Systemic means
that it may affect many parts of the body, such as the joints,
skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, or the brain. This type of lupus
can be mild or serious. If it is not treated, systemic lupus
can cause damage to the organs inside your body.
Discoid and cutaneous
lupus mainly affect the skin. The person may have a red rash
or a color change of the skin on the face, scalp, or other parts
of the body.
Drug-induced lupus
is caused by a small number of prescription medications. The
person with drug-induced lupus may have the same symptoms as
the person with systemic lupus, but it is usually less serious.
Usually when the medicine is stopped, the disease goes away.
The most common drugs that can cause lupus are (1) procainamide
used for heart problems, (2) hydralazine used for high blood
pressure, and (3) dilantin used for seizures. Drug-induced lupus
is usually found in older men and women of all races.
Does Sunlight Cause
Lupus?
In some people, no
matter what shade of skin, an attack of lupus may be brought
on by being in the sun, even for a short period of time.
Do Men Get Lupus?
Yes, men get all
forms of lupus. However, 9 out of 10 people who have lupus are
women.
Why Is Lupus More
Common in Black Women Than in White Women?
We do not know why
the disease is more common in black women. However, research
doctors supported by the National Institutes of Health are studying
this problem. Researchers are studying why minorities are more
inclined to get lupus, what causes it to start, and why is it
mild in some and severe in others. Other researchers are studying
why the signs of lupus differ between black women and white
women.
What Should You
Do if You Think You Have Lupus?
You should see a
doctor or a nurse and be examined and tested for lupus. She
or he will talk to you and take a history of your health problems.
Many people have lupus for a long time before it is detected.
It is important that you tell the doctor or nurse about your
symptoms. (The checklist in the back of the booklet may be helpful.)
How Is Lupus Treated?
The doctor may treat
each lupus patient in a different way because the signs of lupus
often differ from one person to another. The doctor may give
aspirin or similar medicine to treat the painful, swollen joints
and the fever. Creams may be prescribed for the rash, and stronger
medicines prescribed for more serious problems.
Is There a Cure
for Lupus?
At this point, lupus
cannot be cured. However, in many cases, signs of the disease
can be relieved. The good news is that with the correct medicine
and by taking care of themselves, most lupus patients can hold
a job, have children, and lead a full life.
Outlook
The outlook for lupus
patients has greatly improved. Research doctors supported by
the National Institutes of Health are studying many aspects
of lupus, such as what goes wrong with the immune system, why
the disease runs in families, how lupus causes damage in the
body, and why it can lead to repeated miscarriages. Others are
researching why lupus is so much more common in women, especially
black women. Researchers have learned a great deal about lupus
and are studying new ways to treat and, ultimately, prevent
the disease. The future holds great promise for improving the
health of all Americans who have lupus.
Awareness
Please share this
booklet with your family and friends. Someone you know or care
about may have lupus.
For further information
on lupus, see your doctor or health clinic and contact your
local chapter of the following organizations:
Lupus Foundation
of America, Inc.
4 Research Place
Suite 180
Rockville, Maryland 20850-3226
(301) 670-9292
(800) 558-0121
The American
Lupus Society
260 Maple Court
Suite 123
Ventura, California 93033
(805) 339-0443
(800) 331-1802
Both of these groups
can provide more detailed information on lupus through free
pamphlets and newsletters. They also have pamphlets in Spanish.
The two groups also can refer people to doctors and clinics
who see a lot of lupus patients.
Checklist on Signs
of Lupus
Use this page to
make notes to take to your doctor
| ________ |
Red rash or
color change on face, often in the shape of a butterfly
across the bridge of the nose and the cheeks |
| ________ |
Painful or swollen
joints |
| ________ |
Unexplained
fever |
| ________ |
Chest pain with
breathing |
| ________ |
Unusual loss
of hair |
| ________ |
Pale or purple
fingers or toes from cold or stress |
| ________ |
Sensitivity
to sun |
| ________ |
Low blood count |
These signs
are more important if they occur together.
National Institutes of Health
NIH Publication No. 93-3219
June 1994
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