What is Lupus?

So few have heard of Lupus, yet worldwide certain forms are seen as more common than Leukemia, Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, a type of self-allergy, whereby the patient's immune system creates antibodies which,instead of protecting the body from bacteria and viruses, actually attack the person's own body tissues. Lupus patients can experience extreme fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, anemia; hair loss, teeth decay, memory loss, general malaise and can result in the destruction of vital organs. It is a disease with many manifestations, with each person's profile or list of symptoms being different. The reason Lupus (sometimes dubbed 'the imitation disease') is never first thought of as being the cause for the above symptoms is because it can mimic other diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis, Heart Failure, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cancer making it difficult to diagnose. Currently there is no single test that can definitely say whether a person has Lupus or not. Only by comprehensive examination and consideration of symptoms and their history can a diagnosis be achieved. Lupus is also neither infectious nor contagious but there is no cure. People diagnosed with Lupus normally remain under medical care with continuing medication and the illness can adversely influence the lives of those who suffer the illness, their families and friends. SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus), hard to say, harder to live with.