Not A Simple Disease
Lupus isn’t a simple disease with an easy answer. If you think you may have lupus, you probably have many questions.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease. Your body’s immune system is like an army with hundreds of soldiers. The immune system’s job is to fight foreign substances in the body, like germs and viruses. But in autoimmune diseases, the immune system is out of control. It attacks healthy tissues, not germs.
Lupus is a disease that can affect many parts of the body. Everyone reacts differently. One person with lupus may have swollen knees and fever. Another person may be tired all the time or have kidney trouble. Someone else may have rashes. Lupus can involve the:
- joints
- skin
- kidneys
- lungs
- heart and/or the brain
If you have lupus, it may affect two or three parts of your body. Usually, one person doesn’t have all the possible symptoms.
