Lupus Awareness Jewellery

Lupus Facts and Information

What is Lupus Awareness Month:
Lupus Awareness Month (May) is one of several observances promoted by the Lupus Foundation of America and others to increase the awareness of lupus.  Beginning in 2008, the LFA and its chapters have designated May as Lupus Awareness Month to incorporate other related events into the observance. By estimates 1,500,000 Americans have a form lupus ( 90% are women).  Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans are far more likely to get this disease than Caucasians. This estimate is based on two nationwide polls, which asked respondents if they, or anyone in their immediate household, had ever been diagnosed with lupus. In addition, another poll revealed that 28% of all Americans know someone with lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Normally the body’s immune system makes proteins called antibodies that protect the body against viruses, bacteria and other foreign invaders. These foreign invaders are called antigens. In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies that, simply put, attack the body itself. This causes inflammation, pain and damage to various organs. Inflammation is considered the primary feature of lupus. Inflammation causes pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, inside and/or outside the body. For many people, lupus can be a manageable disease with relatively mild symptoms. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems. The health effects of lupus may include heart attacks, strokes, seizures, kidney failure, and miscarriages. Symptoms may include; fatigue, skin rashes, joint pain and hair loss, it can mimic other conditions, appear differently in different people, and can increase or decrease in severity from day to day. More than half of the people with lupus visited three or more doctors and suffered four or more years before being diagnosed.

It is estimated 80 percent of Americans know little or nothing about lupus and an estimated 1.5 million Americans have a form of lupus. Lupus is a common disease that is highly under publicized and misunderstood.

Some Simple Lupus Facts:
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease, which causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints and kidneys. It may also affect the blood. The immune system normally protects the body against viruses, bacteria and other foreign invaders. In an autoimmune disease like lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against the body itself.

• Lupus is NOT infectious, rare or cancerous.

• Although the cause of lupus is unknown, scientists suspect that individuals are genetically predisposed to lupus, and also know that environmental factors such as infections, antibiotics, ultraviolet light, extreme stress and certain drugs play a critical role in triggering lupus.

• Lupus strikes adult women 10 to 15 times more frequently than adult men.

• Lupus is more prevalent in African Americans, Hispanics and Asians. African American women are three times more likely to get lupus than Caucasian women. Both African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos tend to develop lupus at a younger age and have more symptoms at diagnosis (including kidney problems).

• Only 10% of people with lupus will have a close relative (parent or sibling) who already has or may develop lupus. Only about 5% of the children born to individuals with lupus will develop the illness.

• Sometimes people with lupus experience a “flare.” This occurs when some symptoms appear for short periods then disappear. Even if you take medicine for lupus, you may find that there are times when the symptoms become worse. Learning to recognize that a flare is coming can help you take steps to cope with it. Many people feel very tired or have pain, a rash, a fever, stomach discomfort, headache, or dizziness just before a flare….

• Lupus can be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms come and go and mimic those of many other illnesses. Some symptoms of lupus can be transient such as joint and muscle pain, fatigue, a rash caused or made worse by sunlight, low-grade fevers, hair loss, pleurisy, appetite loss, sores in the nose or mouth, or painful sensitivity of the fingers in cold environments.

• Symptoms of lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and thousands of Americans die from lupus complications each year.

• With optimal care, most women with lupus can have healthy babies without endangering their own health.

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