Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body's antibodies attack one's own tissues and cells. Lupus can affect many different body systems such as the kidneys, the joints, skin, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain. There are five types of lupus erythematosus: systemic, discoid/cutaneous, subacute cutaneous, drug-induced systemic, and neonatal.

Causes

The actual cause of the disease is unknown. It is thought that there is not one single cause, but that it is a combination of several factors. The include genetics, environment, and possibly hormonal factors. Lupus frequently strikes women of childbearing years, however, it can affect both sexes from youth to the elderly and range in severity from mild to disabling.
In lupus, the regulation of the immune system goes awry and the body produces autoantibodies. This reaction results in inflammation that causes redness, pain and swelling in the affected parts of the body.

Symptoms

Lupus symptoms vary widely, and they come and go. The most common symptoms include extreme fatigue, joint pain or swelling, fever, and skin rashes.  Some other less common symptoms include chest pain with deep breathing, hair loss, sensitivity to the sun, anemia, pale or purple fingers and toes from cold and stress, headaches, dizziness, depression and seizures. People with lupus develop nervous system symptoms, most commonly migraine headaches.

Treatment

Because the symptoms of lupus vary not only in type but also severity, the treatment may also need to vary. It may take time to find the right combination of treatments for each individual. Treatments may include:

• Rest
• Exercise
• Physical therapy for muscle weakness
• Avoiding sun exposure
• Antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine phosphate or hydroxychloroquine for rashes, arthritis and malaise
• Immunosuppressive and cytotoxic drugs such as Immuran and Cytoxan are prescribed with vital organs are involved and/or corticosteroids aren't effective