Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disorder. In an autoimmune condition, the body has an unnecessary, inappropriate, or overactive immune response against substances within itself. Lupus is also a type of connective tissue disease, meaning that the body's connective tissues are the areas mainly affected of the disease. However, it may affect any area of the body. Lupus, used without any other words, often refers to systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE for short.

Lupus symptoms

Lupus erythematosus symptoms vary based upon the patient, classification of lupus, and other factors. Some medical signs and symptoms, either common or simply potential, may include:

Acute renal (kidney) impairment
Anemia / Iron deficiency
Blood in urine (hematuria) / Protein in urine (proteinuria)
Cognitive dysfunction or impairment
Depression / Mood disorder
Fatigue / Malaise
Fever and/or headache
Hypothyroidism
Join pain (hands and wrists mostly)
Low platelet counts or low white blood cell counts
Malar rash (butterfly rash)
Poor quality of sleep
Red or scaly patches
Ulcers (mouth, nasal, vaginal)

View more symptoms - List of over 60 possible symptoms.

Causes

There is not one particular lupus erythematosus cause. However, there are considered to be genetic susceptibilities, environmental triggers, and other factors. Some of the more frequent environmental triggers include exposure to sunlight, certain infections, medications (particular antibiotics and antidepressants), extreme stress, and hormones. Some forms of lupus erythematosus can actually be a risk factor in developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Diagnosis

Lupus erythematosus diagnosis is made by a medical professional or doctor. Testing such as antinuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-extractable nuclear antigen (anti-ENA) are the commonly used blood tests. Different tests may include those such as liver enzymes, complete blood count (CBC), renal function, electrolytes, and complement system levels.

Treatment

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic disease which has no known cure. Treatment for this condition is essentially symptomatic in natural, doing what is possible to relieve the patient's symptoms, make them more bearable, or help him to live with them. Reducing severity of flares and preventing them from occurring are two main goals.

Treatment methods for other types of lupus may depend on the classification.