Studies suggest that there is an increased risk of developing lupus if a family member has been diagnosed. The majority of lupus cases that develop are referred to as sporadic, which means no known relative has the disease.
For example, the risk for development of lupus in siblings of individuals with the disease is about 20 times higher than that of the general population.
Prevalence in Families
In 20% of people who have lupus, a parent or sibling already has lupus or develops it later.
SLE and other autoimmune disorders tend to run in families, but the inheritance pattern is usually unknown. People may inherit a gene variation that increases or decreases the risk of SLE, but in most cases do not inherit the condition itself.
Family history: Relatives of people with lupus have a greater chance of developing lupus. Only about 2 percent of children whose mothers have lupus will develop it.
Common triggers include:
Being out in the sun or having close exposure to fluorescent or halogen light. Infection. Injury. Stopping your lupus medicines.
Work together with your loved one to better understand the disease. Lupus is a big adjustment, make time to talk about how this transition is affecting you. Support your loved one's care management by keeping good records. Document your loved one's medications, dietary restrictions and other daily caregiving tasks.
Sjogren's syndrome is a relatively common disease, although often under-diagnosed. Sjogren's syndrome can occur alone or in association with other autoimmune diseases, most commonly lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
It's likely that lupus results from a combination of your genetics and your environment. It appears that people with an inherited predisposition for lupus may develop the disease when they come into contact with something in the environment that can trigger lupus. The cause of lupus in most cases, however, is unknown.
The chances of a parent with lupus passing it to her children are less than 5%. If lupus affects a second degree relative like an aunt or a grandma, then the chances are even lower.
If people begin to notice symptoms, such as fatigue, fever, joint pain, and skin lesions, it is advisable for them to contact a doctor. If people notice these symptoms and are aware that lupus runs in their family, they should mention their family history during the evaluation.
Lupus runs in families, but the exact inheritance pattern is unknown. What is known to date is that people may inherit a variation in a gene linked to lupus that may increase or decrease their risk for the condition. It has been found that 20% of people with lupus have a parent or sibling with this condition.
90% of people affected by lupus are women. The involvement of this gene may help explain why. The TLR7 gene is located on the X chromosome and women have two copies, while men only have one so the chances of having the disease are much lower.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or "lupus"), as described in medical papers, on the internet, and in public media, generally refers to the disease as seen at its peak onset ages: That is, lupus most often appears when a person is between 15 and 35 years of age – typically with symptoms of arthritis, rash, hair loss, ...
Who is at risk for SLE? SLE can affect people of all ages, including children. However, women of childbearing ages—15 to 44 years—are at greatest risk of developing SLE. Women of all ages are affected far more than men (estimates range from 4 to 12 women for every 1 man).
Kidneys About one half of people with lupus experience kidney involvement, and the kidney has become the most extensively studied organ affected by lupus. Lungs About 50% of people with SLE will experience lung involvement during the course of their disease.
Antibody blood tests
The test you will hear about most is called the antinuclear antibodies test (the ANA test). 97% of people with lupus will test positive for ANA.
As a result, people with lupus are frequently misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, skin disorders, psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression or receive no answers at all.
Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease
“There are people who have a milder form of an autoimmune disease who just don't meet the classification criteria for lupus. We call that undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD),” says Dr. Petri.
lupus psychosis. It is described as delusions or hallucinations. About 12 percent of lupus patients experience it. A few more little-known symptoms are vertigo, Raynaud's Syndrome, and oral health problems, like gum disease.
The prognosis of lupus is better today than ever before. With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span. It is true that medical science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, and some people do die from the disease.
Many lupus patients aren't able to do intensive physical work, like waitressing or working in a grocery store. Jobs that involve standing for long periods, like working a cash register, greeting customers, or being a hostess at a restaurant, can be physically tiring as well as rough on the joints.