What is Lupus, what are the symptoms of Selena Gomez’s condition, what is the treatment and do you need a kidney transplant?
SELENA Gomez announced last year that she had undergone a kidney transplant as a result of her battle with lupus.
According to Lupus UK, around 50,000 people in the UK have the condition and around 90 per cent of sufferers are women - but what do we know the disease, its symptoms and its treatment?
What is Lupus?
Lupus is an incurable and usually "life long" immune system illness which is mainly suffered by women and can affect any part of the body, including skin, joints and organs.
The condition causes the immune system to produce too many antibodies which can sometimes attack healthy tissue and result in inflammation, pain and damage.
It's difficult to know exactly how many people suffer but women and people of African-Caribbean, Chinese and Asian descent are more likely to develop the condition than white people.
What are the symptoms of Lupus?
Lupus is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can vary from person to person and the condition usually develops slowly over time.
However, women between usually notice symptoms and are diagnosed with the condition between the ages of 15 and 45.
The three
Other symptoms can include:
- a fever (high temperature)
- swollen lymph glands (small glands found throughout your body, including in your neck, armpits and groin)
- recurring mouth ulcers
- hair loss (alopecia)
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- headaches and migraines
- stomach (abdominal) pain
- chest pain
- depression
- dry eyes
- memory loss
- seizures (fits)
- problems thinking clearly and difficulty telling the difference between reality and imagination (psychosis)
- shortness of breath
- Raynaud's phenomenon – a condition that limits the blood supply to your hands and feet when it is cold
- ankle swelling and fluid retention (oedema)
Source: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lupus/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
How can I catch Lupus?
Lupus is not a disease you can catch from other people and the causes are still poorly understood but it's thought to be due to genetic and environmental factors.
Researchers have identified a number of different genetic mutations that seem to make people more susceptible to developing the condition.
A genetic mutation is a permanent alteration in the DNA and when it's changed the body's processes don't work normally.
There has been research that suggests environmental factors could also be responsible for triggering Lupus too.
Some of these include exposure to sunlight (UV light), hormonal changes that occur during a woman's lifetime, such as during puberty or pregnancy, certain infections, such as by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – a common viral infection that doesn't usually cause any symptom and smoking.
What's the treatment for Lupus?
There's currently no cure for Lupus but you can take some medication and make lifestyle measures to help make it easier to live with.
These include protecting yourself from the sun and making sure you get enough victim D by taking supplements.
Also, there are a variety of different drugs you can take, including Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Corticosteroids, Antimalarial drugs, BLyS-specific inhibitors and Immunosuppressive agents/chemotherapy.
When was Selena Gomez diagnosed with lupus?
Selena was first diagnosed with the disease in 2015 and was forced to cancel a singing tour and undergo chemotherapy.
In 2016 the singer suffered a period of panic attacks, anxiety and depression which she linked to her disease.
In September 2017, the singer announced she had undergone a kidney transplant after posting a picture of herself and her best friend lying in side-by-side hospital beds.
In a lengthy post she wrote: "I'm very aware some of my fans had noticed I was laying low for part of the summer and questioning why I wasn’t promoting my new music, which I was extremely proud of. So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering.
"It was what I needed to do for my overall health. I honestly look forward to sharing with you, soon my journey through these past several months as I have always wanted to do with you. Until then I want to publicly thank my family and the incredible team of doctors for everything they have done for me prior to and post-surgery."
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Do any other celebrities suffer from lupus?
Singer Toni Braxton collapsed while performing in Lax Vegas in 2008, and although doctors initially thought it was a mild heart attack, it was later diagnosed as lupus.
She told : "Pretty much when you have lupus you feel like you have the flu every day. But some days you get through it. But for me, if I'm not feeling well, I tend to tell my kids, 'Oh mommy's just going to relax in bed today. I kind of take it easy."
Eternal singer Kelle Bryan has also spoken about how she battles with the auto-immune disease and choses to wear a surgical mask and gloves to avoid catching infections.
The singer is aware that a simple hug from one of her two children could kill her.
She told : "I normally wear a surgical mask and gloves because I’m highly susceptible to infection.
Other famous sufferers have included music legend Michael Jackson.