Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that brings on a chronic inflammatory condition that affects many of the body's organs.  Lupus occurs when the immune system makes antibodies to respond to the virus that then attack the body's own organs and tissues.  This creates an inflammatory response in the skin, blood vessels, joints, and other tissues and organs. 

There are two different kind of lupus.  One is Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the second is discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). 

SLE affects many different parts of the body and the severity can range anywhere from mild to life threatening.  The first symptoms you experience with SLE are like that of arthritis.  The symptoms are swelling and pain in the fingers and joints.  Sometimes, the disease comes on suddenly with sever fever.  Another common symptom is a red rash on the cheeks; the rash may also appear elsewhere on the body.  Other typical symptoms are hair loss, loss of appetite, nausea, blood in urine, ulcers, vomiting and weight loss.  Inflammation of the kidneys can also be a symptom.

DLE is a less serious form of the disease that typically only affects the skin.  A butterfly rash will appear over the nose and cheeks.  There may also be cuts or lesions elsewhere on the body.  These symptoms can last for years.