Join our community and be considered for a clinical trial for people living with lupus.
Take surveyLupus is an autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system (which normally protects the body from infections) mistakenly attacks healthy cells. This can cause inflammation, swelling, pain, and damage.
There are different kinds of lupus. The most common type is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). SLE can affect parts of the body including skin, joints and/or organs. Symptoms vary, and early symptoms can include fatigue, joint pain, fever, and a lupus rash, especially after being in the sun.
Clinical research is growing our understanding of lupus and how to treat it. Read on to learn more.
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There is no single test for lupus. Because lupus affects different people in different ways, it can be difficult to diagnose. Instead, doctors use a combination of person’s medical history of symptoms, physical exam findings, laboratory tests, and skin biopsies to make a diagnosis. Lupus is not contagious, but it does have a hereditary component, so family health information is important. Because the symptoms of lupus come and go over time, diagnosing lupus can be a slow and frustrating process.
No one knows what causes lupus. Scientists think that some people are born with the genes to develop lupus. It is also believed that sunlight, some prescription medications, infections or viruses, hormones, cigarette smoking, and stress can also cause lupus or worsening symptoms of lupus (flare ups).
The symptoms and severity of lupus vary greatly from one person to the next. Many people experience tiredness, weight loss and a mildly raised temperature (fever). Other common symptoms of lupus include:
Lifestyle changes can help to control how often and how severely a person may have rashes and other symptoms caused by sensitivity to light. Avoiding sunlight and wearing sunscreen are effective ways to help control these types of symptoms. Managing stress, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding nicotine may also reduce the risk of some symptoms.
Medications used to treat lupus include:
In addition, clinical trials are investigating potential new treatments before they are approved for use.
Clinical trials are advancing our understanding of lupus and investigating potential treatments for people with it. They depend on people like you to volunteer to take part.
Potential benefits of participating in a clinical trial include:
Lupus clinical research trials are important in the development of medicines for lupus. In the survey, you will have the opportunity to sign up to be notified about available and/or upcoming lupus clinical trials. You do not need to join the database to participate in this survey.
We also invite you to join our online community for people living with lupus.
Thank you for your time and support in sharing with us.
A recent article discusses small lifestyle changes that have helped others with lupus, from saying “no,” to being very diligent with sunscreen.
What’s something you would add to the list? Share below!💜
Seeker recently created a video about systemic lupus. From history and background to possible causes and more, the informative video touches on several aspects of the condition.
Our immune system is an incredible thing. It’s a complex, disease-fighting machine, capable of fending off attacks from bacteria and viruses. But what happen…
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, while an individual’s genetics may increase the likelihood that he or she will develop lupus, generally there will be some kind of environmental trigger to set off the illness or to bring on a flare.
A recent article from Prevention Magazine discusses eight possible contributing factors, and provides some background information on each.
The autoimmune disease causes debilitating symptoms—and there’s no known cure.
