Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. The body's immune system normally makes proteins called antibodies to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens. In an autoimmune disorder such as lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances (antigens) and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against "self." These antibodies, called "auto-antibodies," react with the "self" antigens to form immune complexes. The immune complexes build up in the tissues and can cause inflammation, injury to tissues, and pain.

For most people, lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems. More than 16,000 Americans develop lupus each year. It is estimated that 500,000 to 1.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with lupus.

http://www.lupus.org/education/definition. html

First off, those numbers in Lewis' post are from 1994! The real numbers are unknown! It is now theorized that there are from 3-4 million with Lupus in the US.

Last year, through the LFA, I went to their National Education Symposium in Washington DC where we lobbied Senators and Congressmen to create a bill that would create a National Database for Lupus Patients.

Also, there is no known cause for Lupus. It, for now, seems to be a combination of predisposition through genetics and an unknown trigger in their environment.

As for the disease itself, no two people with the disease will ever have the EXACT same symptoms. One of the reasons why it is hard to diagnose and treat.

Regards,
LadyBrannon

I have been feeling ridiculously tired all the time, I have fever on and off, I have these patchy spots that are raised and hard on my legs once I hit the sun for the first time, they are also crusty (like I can scratch them off and they bleed) - my back is so sore in the mornings that I cry and ask my 13 year old son to pull me off the bed. I pee all the time - and if I have to hold it my back hurts so bad I can barely move, - while I was in Florida 2 weeks ago, someone there said that the spots on my legs remind them of a friend who was diagnosed with Lupus, I am worried, but I do not have health insurance right now and don't know what to do. I am a single mom, out of work, looking to work again when school starts and have no help from my kids dads, none at all!!!! Please tell me some about lupus and is there any trials or studies I can get into!!! Thanks!!!!

You pretty much summed up most of my symptoms as well. In february of this year I was diagnosed with mctd- mixed connective tissue disease. This is a combination of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleraderma, shojrens disease and reynauds syndrome. There is medication for this..Several actually. But you need to have blood tests done to confirm a diagnosis. Do you have any health clinic in your area?I would start there.