Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) more commonly known as lupus, is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the blood vessels and connective tissues of the skin. It is an auto-immune disease or type of self-allergy which often begins with a skin rash, a general feeling of tiredness and pains in the joints.
The name ‘lupus erythematosus’ means ‘red wolf’. This is because it describes the rash sometimes found on both cheeks and over the bridge of the nose. Lupus mainly affects young women, the commonest ages of onset being in the teens and twenties but it is rare before puberty or after the menopause. Women are affected nine times more than men. Many lupus patients suffer from Raynaud's.
To download our leaflet on SLE click here.
Visit the Lupus UK website http://www.lupusuk.org.uk
Sunday, 19 May 2013
