LUPUS

Most of us don't know a lot about LUPUS, while we are all aware about diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB, Diabetes.....we don't realize that there is another killer around us.

Julie Martin and Lorraine Mantini, both of them Community Liaison officers at The Arthritis Foundation came to give us more clarity regarding Lupus.

It is good to know that The Arthritis Foundation leads the fight for the arthritis community, they help conquer everyday battles through life-changing information and resources, access to optimal care, advancements in science and community connections.

LUPUS is a chronic, autoimmune disease, in other words, Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. People who have it will have an overactive and misdirected immune system. Lupus is systemic which means that it affects a wide part of the body, including the joints, kidneys, skin, blood, brain and the other organs.

We have many types of Lupus for instance: cutaneous lupus that affects the skin, drug-induced lupus caused by the use of certain medications (the symptoms go away once the medicine is discontinued) and the neonatal lupus, this type affects babies of women who have lupus (it disappears after 6 months)...

Pontso Moiloa who is the founder of Lupus Drive said: "The disease is still very foreign to us (SA). There is not enough research around this disease in South Africa, we are trying to establish more. A lot of mystery still surrounds who gets it and how it starts, but it causes a lot of deaths..."

The most common signs and symptoms are fatigue and fever, joint pain, stiffness and swelling, butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose, fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods, skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure, shortness of breath, chest pain, dry eyes, headaches, confusion, memory loss and many others...

What on earth can cause it? Lupus occurs when your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your body. It's likely that lupus results from a combination of your genetics and your environment. It appears that people with an inherited predisposition for lupus may develop the disease when they come into contact with something in the environment that can trigger lupus. The cause for lupus in most cases, however, is unknown. Some potential triggers include: exposure to the sun may bring on lupus skin lesions or trigger an internal response in susceptible people, medications can trigger certain types of Lupus, blood pressure medications and antibiotics. 

If you have any of the signs and symptoms, it is imperative to seek for help, go see a specialist. Lupus is not a death sentence, it can not be cured yes, but it can be manageable through appropriate medications and a good lifestyle can prevent you to fall into that cruel sickness. Get an adequate rest,  be sun smart, get regular exercise, don't smoke, eat a healthy diet...after all, it is better to prevent than to heal.

For more information contact

Tel: 021 425 2344/ 086 130 3030/ 078 192 3103

Web: www.arthiritis.org.za

                                                  By: Panphil Tshisumpa