Who gets, causes
Who gets lupus?
People of all ages and races get lupus. Women are more likely to get some types of lupus. The following explains who is most likely to get the different types of lupus.
Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE): This type of lupus can affect many organs, including the skin, kidneys, and joints.
Women are much more likely to get SLE. It often begins between 15 and 45 years of age.
Smoking may increase the risk of developing SLE.
Cutaneous (affects the skin) lupus: Several types of lupus affect the skin. Most types are more common in women and often appear between 20 and 50 years of age.
Drug-induced lupus: Caused by taking medicine, this type seems more common in men.
Neonatal lupus: With medical help from specialists, mothers who have lupus can give birth to healthy babies. Occasionally, a baby is born with neonatal lupus. This type of lupus usually disappears by the time the baby is 6 to 8 months old — and never returns.
A thorough checkup is important if a baby is born with neonatal lupus. Some babies with neonatal lupus have permanent heart disease and need a pacemaker.
What causes lupus?
All types of lupus are autoimmune diseases. This means that the immune system attacks the body. When a person has systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), the immune system may attack different parts of the body, including the skin, kidneys, and lungs.
Lupus is not contagious. You cannot catch it from someone.
What causes people to develop this type of autoimmune disease isn’t certain. It may be a combination of genes, environmental triggers, and hormones.
Anything that triggers your immune system to attack itself can cause lupus to flare. When lupus affects the skin, common triggers for lupus are:
- Sunlight
- Ultraviolet (UV) light from tanning beds and fluorescent light bulbs
- An infection
- Some medicines
- Stress
- Surgery or a serious injury
If you believe that you could have lupus, early diagnosis and treatment are important. You’ll find out how dermatologists diagnose and treat people when lupus affects the skin at Lupus and your skin: Diagnosis, treatment, and outcome.
Source: https://www.aad.org