Did you know that May is also the month to wear purple in honor of Lupus Awareness Month? Well hopefully now you know and I’ll tell you a little more about it. It’s a chronic autoimmune disease. Autoimmune meaning that the body’s immune system will begin to attack it’s own healthy organs and tissues. Generally organs affected include kidneys, skin, heart, and lungs. Currently there is no cure for it. Most lupus patients are cared for by specialty physicians called rheumatologists.
Do you know anyone with lupus? Selena Gomez has lupus. She had a kidney transplant last year. As a nurse, I’ve witnessed times where the kidneys become badly damaged and require dialysis or a kidney transplant. Toni Braxton has lupus also. Most recently, a couple of years ago it affected her heart again. My friends and I actually saw her perform with her heart monitor on after being released from the hospital the day before. I was skeptical that she may have cancelled, but I guess she said the show must go on. We enjoyed it too!
I became ill a few years ago and the specialists treating me ran all sorts of tests to determine a diagnosis. They wanted to rule out the diease. Lupus typically affects women of childbearing age and women of color including African-Americans. That was two risk factors for me. A common blood test that’s done to help diagnose lupus is ANA (Antinuclear Antibodies). My results were negative on multiple occasions. The symptoms I had were chest pain on exertion and fatigue; however, it was due to anemia. I appreciated the doctors going the extra mile since sometimes lupus is misdiagnosed.
Lupus Symptoms Include:
- Butterfly rash on face (cheeks and bridge of nose)
- Fatigue (really tired)
- Joint pain
- Chest pain
- Fever
- Photosensitivity (due to sun exposure)
If you have any of those symptoms you should follow up with our healthcare provider. He or she will be able to complete an examination, perform diagnostic tests, collect blood sample and review your family history to rule out the disease.