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Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack its own organs and tissues. It can affect any and every major organ in the body, including the lungs, heart, brain, joints, and kidneys. Unfortunately, there is no one test that can be used to diagnose lupus. Instead, a diagnosis is made from a series of tests, beginning with an antinuclear antibody (ANA) test, which determines if the immune system is producing certain antibodies. If the ANA test is positive, then several other tests must be run to rule out other conditions that can produce a positive result, such as scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, Addison’s disease, and some viral infections. There are actually four types of lupus: discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), drug-induced lupus (DIL), neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Discoid lupus typically affects only the skin, and can be controlled with cortisone creams and shots, and preventive measures such as avoiding the sun and tobacco use (sunlight and smoking aggravate the condition). Neonatal lupus is an extremely rare and temporary form of lupus seen in infants who have a reaction to their mother’s antibodies while in the womb. About half of all infants born with NLE have a serious heart arrhythmia, but this can be treated with a pacemaker. Drug-induced lupus is caused by certain prescription drugs, and symptoms usually go away when the drug is discontinued. That leaves systemic lupus erythematosus, the most serious and common form of this disease. SLE is incurable, and if not treated can do severe damage to all bodily organs. Common symptoms of this type of lupus are painful or swollen joints, persistent low grade fever, dry eyes, skin lesions, hair loss, weight loss or gain, memory loss, and depression. Although some people with lupus do not have any significant symptoms, others suffer with severe flare-ups that can cause serious complications, depending upon the affected organs. Over time, SLE can cause the onset of heart disease, seizures, stroke, kidney failure, psychosis, anemia and many other blood disorders. The key to treating lupus is to reduce inflammation in the body and thus to relax the body’s immune system response. If lupus symptoms are mild, they may be controlled with Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), or anti-malarial medications. However, for severe cases of lupus in which organ damage is present, corticosteroids must be used to treat inflammation and to suppress the immune system. Corticosteroids work fast and effectively, but long-term use of these drugs has been associated with the development of other undesirable conditions such as mood-swings, weight gain, acne, hirsutism, glaucoma, hyperglycemia, and even congestive heart failure. In addition, corticosteroids suppress the body’s own adrenal gland function, so it is difficult to go off the medicine if you have been on it for a long time. Physicians prescribe this drug only when necessary and in the smallest possible dosage. Lupus affects all segments of the population; men, women and children of all ages and races. However, this condition is far more prevalent in women (90 percent of all lupus patients are women), particularly African American women, who are three times more likely to have lupus than Caucasian women. It is also thought that stress and trauma can cause lupus symptoms to flare, so patients with lupus must do everything possible to relax and have a positive outlook on life. 
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