L UPUS Victoria Maidon and Lauren Pavone
W HAT IS L UPUS ? Chronic inflammation and body damage 90% of all people affected with lupus are women aged Not infectious or cancerous
H OW IS IT AUTOIMMUNE ? Cannot fight off bacteria or viruses The body hyperactively attacks its own tissues and organs
S YMPTOMS Pain Fatigue Butterfly rash on cheeks and nose Fever Swelling in hands and feet Hair loss Anemia Abnormal blood clotting
T REATMENT Pain medication (ex: naproxen and ibuprofen) Antimalarial drugs Corticosteroids to counter inflammation Immune suppressants (in extreme cases)
T YPES OF L UPUS Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): most common form Discoid: only affects the skin Drug induced: a reaction to prescription drugs to control hypertension Neonatal: mother passes autoantibodies to fetus and the baby gets rashes, blood, and heart problems
W ORKS C ITED Couldihavelupus.gov Goeshealth.com Images.catholic.org Images.rheumatology.org Lupus.org Mayoclinic.com Medicalnewstoday.com Network.londonbridgehospital.com