- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Childhood Brain Tumors
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke
- Memory
- Meningitis
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Movement Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuroblastoma
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
- Speech and Language Problems in Children
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Tremor
- Walking Problems
- West Nile Virus
- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
- Diabetic Eye Problems
- Diabetic Foot
- Diabetic Heart Disease
- Diabetic Kidney Problems
- Diabetic Nerve Problems
- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Prediabetes
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breastfeeding
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
- Childbirth
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Female Infertility
- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal Ligation
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Diseases
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vaginal Diseases
- Vaginitis
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vulvar Disorders
- Yeast Infections
- Alcohol
- Calcium
- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Color Blindness
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Friedreich Ataxia
- Genetic Counseling
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neural Tube Defects
- Neurofibromatosis
- Newborn Screening
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Pregnancy and Medicines
- Rett Syndrome
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Tourette Syndrome
- Tuberous Sclerosis
- Usher Syndrome
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Allergy
- Animal Bites
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Aplastic Anemia
- Asthma
- Asthma in Children
- Childhood Leukemia
- Childhood Vaccines
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Eosinophilic Disorders
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Hay Fever
- HIV
- HIV and Infections
- HIV in Women
- Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Infectious Diseases
- Infectious Mononucleosis
- Juvenile Arthritis
- Kawasaki Disease
- Lymphedema
- Lymphoma
- Multiple Myeloma
- Pemphigus
- Pneumocystis Infections
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Tonsillitis
- Vaccines
- Viral Infections
- Adhesions
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders
- Arm Injuries and Disorders
- Back Injuries
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Burns
- Chest Injuries and Disorders
- Concussion
- CPR
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries and Disorders
- Finger Injuries and Disorders
- Foot Injuries and Disorders
- Fractures
- Hand Injuries and Disorders
- Heel Injuries and Disorders
- Hip Injuries and Disorders
- Inhalation Injuries
- Insect Bites and Stings
- Jaw Injuries and Disorders
- Knee Injuries and Disorders
- Leg Injuries and Disorders
- Mosquito Bites
- Neck Injuries and Disorders
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries and Disorders
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Tick Bites
- Toe Injuries and Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders
- Acute Bronchitis
- Bird Flu
- Chronic Bronchitis
- COPD
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)
- Croup
- E-Cigarettes
- Fistulas
- Flu
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
- H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- Legionnaires’ Disease
- Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
- Sleep Apnea
- Smoking
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping Cough
- Anatomy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Birth Control
- Chlamydia Infections
- Circumcision
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Genital Herpes
- Genital Warts
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes Simplex
- Infertility
- Male Infertility
- Penis Disorders
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Diseases
- Reproductive Hazards
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Problems in Men
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Syphilis
- Testicular Cancer
- Testicular Disorders
- Vasectomy
- Abdominal Pain
- Bad Breath
- Bleeding
- Breathing Problems
- Bruises
- Chest Pain
- Choking
- Chronic Pain
- Constipation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Edema
- Fainting
- Fever
- Frostbite
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Heat Illness
- Hives
- Hypothermia
- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Lupus
Summary
What is lupus?
Lupus is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. This can damage many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain.
There are several kinds of lupus:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common type. It can be mild or severe and can affect many parts of the body.
- Discoid lupus causes a red rash that doesn’t go away
- Subacute cutaneous lupus causes sores after being out in the sun
- Drug-induced lupus is caused by certain medicines. It usually goes away when you stop taking the medicine.
- Neonatal lupus, which is rare, affects newborns. It is probably caused by certain antibodies from the mother.
What causes lupus?
The cause of lupus is unknown.
Who is at risk for lupus?
Anyone can get lupus, but women are most at risk. Lupus is two to three times more common in African American women than in white women. It’s also more common in Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women. African American and Hispanic women are more likely to have severe forms of lupus.
What are the symptoms of lupus?
Lupus can have many symptoms, and they differ from person to person. Some of the more common ones are:
- Pain or swelling in joints
- Muscle pain
- Fever with no known cause
- Red rashes, most often on the face (also called the “butterfly rash”)
- Chest pain when taking a deep breath
- Hair loss
- Pale or purple fingers or toes
- Sensitivity to the sun
- Swelling in legs or around eyes
- Mouth ulcers
- Swollen glands
- Feeling very tired
Symptoms may come and go. When you are having symptoms, it is called a flare. Flares can range from mild to severe. New symptoms may appear at any time.
How is lupus diagnosed?
There is no specific test for lupus, and it’s often mistaken for other diseases. So it may take months or years for a doctor to diagnose it. Your doctor may use many tools to make a diagnosis:
- Medical history
- Complete exam
- Blood tests
- Skin biopsy (looking at skin samples under a microscope)
- Kidney biopsy (looking at tissue from your kidney under a microscope)
What are the treatments for lupus?
There is no cure for lupus, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help control it.
People with lupus often need to see different doctors. You will have a primary care doctor and a rheumatologist (a doctor who specializes in the diseases of joints and muscles). Which other specialists you see depends on how lupus affects your body. For example, if lupus damages your heart or blood vessels, you would see a cardiologist.
Your primary care doctor should coordinate care between your different health care providers and treat other problems as they come up. Your doctor will develop a treatment plan to fit your needs. You and your doctor should review the plan often to be sure it is working. You should report new symptoms to your doctor right away so that your treatment plan can be changed if needed.
The goals of the treatment plan are to:
- Prevent flares
- Treat flares when they occur
- Reduce organ damage and other problems
Treatments may include drugs to:
- Reduce swelling and pain
- Prevent or reduce flares
- Help the immune system
- Reduce or prevent damage to joints
- Balance the hormones
Besides taking medicines for lupus, you may need to take medicines for problems that are related to lupus such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or infection.
Alternative treatments are those that are not part of standard treatment. At this time, no research shows that alternative medicine can treat lupus. Some alternative or complementary approaches may help you cope or reduce some of the stress associated with living with a chronic illness. You should talk to your doctor before trying any alternative treatments.
How can I cope with lupus?
It is important to take an active role in your treatment. It helps to learn more about lupus – being able to spot the warning signs of a flare can help you prevent the flare or make the symptoms less severe.
It is also important to find ways to cope with the stress of having lupus. Exercising and finding ways to relax may make it easier for you to cope. A good support system can also help.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Diagnosis and Tests
- ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) Test National Library of Medicine
- Complement Blood Test National Library of Medicine
- Diagnosing Lupus Lupus Foundation of America
Encyclopedia
- Antimitochondrial antibody Medical Encyclopedia
- Antithyroglobulin antibody test Medical Encyclopedia
- C-reactive protein Medical Encyclopedia
- Complement Medical Encyclopedia
- Complement component 3 (C3) Medical Encyclopedia
- Complement component 4 Medical Encyclopedia
- Cryoglobulins Medical Encyclopedia
- ESR Medical Encyclopedia
- Fibrinopeptide A blood test Medical Encyclopedia
- Lupus anticoagulants and antiphospholipid antibodies Medical Encyclopedia
- Necrotizing vasculitis Medical Encyclopedia
- Protein electrophoresis – serum Medical Encyclopedia
- Scleritis Medical Encyclopedia
- Serum globulin electrophoresis Medical Encyclopedia
- Thyroid peroxidase antibody Medical Encyclopedia
Patient Handouts
- Antinuclear antibody panel Medical Encyclopedia
- Collagen vascular disease Medical Encyclopedia
- Drug-induced lupus erythematosus Medical Encyclopedia
- Lupus nephritis Medical Encyclopedia
- Systemic lupus erythematosus Medical Encyclopedia
Children
- Caring for Children and Teens with Lupus Lupus Foundation of America
- Lupus (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic National Institutes of Health
Find an Expert
- Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
- Find a Rheumatologist American College of Rheumatology
- Lupus Foundation of America Lupus Foundation of America
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Living With
- Diet and Nutrition with Lupus Lupus Foundation of America
- Living with Lupus Lupus Foundation of America
Images
- Discoid Lupus Erythematosus VisualDX
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus VisualDX
Specifics
- Discoid Lupus Erythematosus American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
- What Is Lupus? Lupus Foundation of America
Men
- Does Lupus Occur in Men? Lupus Foundation of America
Related Issues
- For Caregivers and Parents Lupus Foundation of America
- Immune System and Its Link to Rheumatic Diseases American College of Rheumatology
- Lupus and Kidney Disease (Lupus Nephritis) National Kidney Foundation
- Lupus Nephritis National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Neurological Sequelae of Lupus National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Start Here
- For Newly Diagnosed Lupus Foundation of America
- Lupus among Asians and Hispanics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Women
- Lupus Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
- Planning a Pregnancy when You Have Lupus Lupus Foundation of America
- Pregnancy and Rheumatic Disease American College of Rheumatology
Teenagers
- Lupus (for Teens) Nemours Foundation
Treatments and Therapies
- Lupus Therapies Continue to Evolve Food and Drug Administration
- Thunder God Vine National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Treating Lupus: A Guide Lupus Foundation of America
Statistics and Research
- New Treatment Shows Promise in Reducing the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in People with Lupus National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
Journal Articles
Genetics
- Systemic lupus erythematosus: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine