Lupus Myths

Like many things that are scary and have unknowns that must be dealt with, lupus has a lot of mysteries surrounding it.  There are so many questions about causes and treatments. Because of this there are also many myths that have developed around this disease. It is time to dispel them so that the information that people receive about lupus is not simply a bunch of frightening incorrect drivel, but the truth. Let’s take one of the frightening aspects of lupus away and leave only the facts. Firstly, lupus is a chronic disease that affects the immune system. It causes inflammation throughout the body and often attacks the organs. There are one and a half million Americans who suffer with this disease.
One misconception is that only adults develop lupus. This is wrong. Lupus can affect anyone but the common age for unset is fifteen to forty five. Yet, twenty percent of all lupus sufferers are under twenty.
People believe that lupus is contagious. This disease cannot be caught by coming into contact with others who may have it. Some think that only women can get lupus. This is also not true though ninety percent of all lupus sufferers are women, men do get this disease. Many cannot understand what the big deal is with this disease. Why not just cure the patients and be done. There is no cure for lupus as of yet. There are medications that can give those living with lupus near normal lives, but once lupus develops it is a chronic disease that is with the person for the rest of their lives.
Some people believe that since lupus has some signs that are very obvious, the telltale butterfly rash for example, that you can always identify someone with lupus. But, since most of the symptoms deal with a disease that is attacking the internal organs this is not true. The rashes are not always present and when they are they are not always on the face.
Many people think that when a person has lupus they go to the lupus doctor and that is how they get their medication. But with this disease there is never one doctor that is seen. Lupus affects so many different parts of the body that the person affected winds up seeing their general practitioner, and likely an internist and many other specialists including a rheumatologist.
People do not realize the number of people who are suffering from this disease. They assume that there are more people suffering from AIDS so lupus should not get so much coverage. The truth is that in the United States there are more people suffering from lupus than there are from AIDS, Sickle Cell Anemia, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Cerebral Palsy combined.
Even those with lupus live with some misunderstanding of the disease.  Those who get the rash sometimes think it is only because they have overheated in the sun. But that is not why. Though the rash can be traced to being out in sunlight it is more because of the skin’s reaction to the ultraviolet light not from getting too hot.