Lupus Foundation Of America South Carolina Chapter

Causes: Health, Specifically Named Diseases, Specifically Named Diseases Research

Mission: The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc., South Carolina Chapter chartered in 1976 grew out of a mother's need to find information on the illness that was making her daughter so very ill. From this grassroots effort the lupus chapter was born and was a part of forming the national organization in 1977. Lupus is a acute and chronic inflammatory disease that, for unknown reasons, causes the immune system to become hyperactive and attack the body's own healthy tissues and organs. The disease is hard to diagnose, difficult to live with, incurable, and can be life threatening. At least 1.4 million Americans have been told by a doctor that they have lupus. The cause(s) of lupus is unknown, but environmental and genetic factors are involved. Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms mimic other diseases. Symptoms are sometimes vague and may come and go. Symptoms include achy or swollen joints, low grade fevers, extreme fatigue and skin rashes. At present there is no cure for lupus. However, with early diagnosis and current methods of therapy, 80-90% of lupus patients can look forward to a normal lifespan. Lupus can occur at any age, and in either sex, although it occurs 8 or 9 times more frequently among adult females, than among adult males. The symptoms of the disease are the same in men and women. Hormonal factors may explain why lupus occurs more frequently in females than in males. African Americans, Native Americans, Asians and Latinos are thought to develop lupus more frequently than Caucasians. Treatment approaches are based on the specific needs and symptoms of each person. Anti-inflammatory medications are often prescribed for people with lupus, depending on which organ(s) are involved, and the severity of involvement.