Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation in the skin, joints, and blood vessels. Symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, and skin rashes, but symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. This complex array of symptoms can make it hard for doctors to recognize lupus. As a result, people with lupus may suffer for years without a correct diagnosis.
Getting a lupus diagnosis can be difficult and frustrating. “It can sometimes take patients 10 years or more to get real answers to their symptoms,” says Fotios Koumpouras, MD, assistant professor of medicine (Rheumatology), at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), and director of the Yale Lupus Program. “But going to a rheumatologist can make it a lot easier.”
Here are five things to know about lupus:
· A person usually develops lupus as a result of genetic predisposition and an environmental trigger. The exact environmental triggers are not known but infections like Epstein-Barr virus, hormonal changes, smoking, ultraviolet light or medications may be associated with lupus.
· Cutaneous lupus is the most common form of lupus and causes inflammation of the skin only. Systemic lupus means that the disease is causing inflammation in internal organs and blood vessels and external rashes. It can be mild or severe.
· More women than men develop lupus.
· Most people are between 15 years old and 44 at diagnosis, but the disease can affect children and people who are elderly, too.
· The disease is more common in people of African American, Hispanic, and Asian descent.
Newly diagnosed patients have the option of going through a comprehensive Lupus Wellness Program. In four sessions spread out over the course of a year, an advanced practice registered nurse teaches them about living with lupus, including how to avoid situations that might cause a flare-up, and how to recognize flares. Patients also have access to doctors with extensive lupus experience.
“We have physicians who are experts in kidney lupus and pulmonary lupus, for example,” says Koumpouras. “The program allows patients to see sub-specialists who really know their specific disease.”
There are several clinical trials at Yale on potential new drugs to treat lupus. “If individuals are not getting better with standard treatment, then they have the option of exploring new therapies being studied here,” says Koumpouras.
The Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology is one of the eleven academic sections within YSM’s Department of Internal Medicine. To learn more about its work, visit Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology.