CURE LUPUS!

Systemic lupus erythematosus (usually called lupus or SLE) is probably best described as an inflammatory disease of the small blood vessels in connective tissue. (Connective tissue is the substance that binds all body organs together.) This inflammation may cause abnormalities in the function and structure of such vital organs as the kidneys, heart, brain or lungs. Less life-threatening symptoms may occur in the skin, joints, blood, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system.

Symptoms of lupus include rash; joint and muscle pain; low-grade fever; constant flu-like symptoms; muscular weakness and extreme fatigue; some hair loss; sensitivity to sunlight; diminished appetite; weight loss; depression; mood swings; mouth and/or nasal ulcers; and anaemia. Symptoms vary between individuals, and may occur individually or in any combination, and may be intermittent. No 2 sufferers have the same symptoms, with the disease marked by periods of exacerbation (flare ups) and remission (no symptoms).



Lupus is the result of an inappropriate immune response which causes the body to produce antibodies which attack its own cells. (Antibodies usually protect the body by attacking invading organisms and foreign matter.) The trigger for this faulty response is unknown.
The disease most commonly strikes young women between the age of 15 and 45.Lupus affects about 10 times more women than men. The disease is more common among certain ethnic groups including African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans.

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