Lupus Pain, Symptoms & Signs: Chronic Autoimmune Disease Prevalent Among Young Latinas

"Salud" is a Latin Post feature series that focuses on health and wellness topics and examines Latino health trends.

Selena Gomez, a well-known Latina in the media, has systemic lupus erythematosus or lupus, and so do thousands of other young Latino women and men.

Lupus is a young woman's disease. In fact, of the 1.5 million Americans living with the rare chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease. 90 percent of suffers are young women. Furthermore, the disease discriminates against African American, Latina and Native American women. For white women, chances of developing lupus are 1-in-400, for Latina and African-American women without a family history of Lupus have an approximate chance of 1-in-250.

Lupus originates in patients during in their 20s and 30s, during prime childbearing years; so young Latinas must also be conscious of the disease. Most women begin developing symptoms and signs of the illness between the ages of 15 and 44. According to nonprofit S.L.E. Lupus Foundation, African Americans are three times more likely than Caucasian women to get lupus, and it's twice more prevalent in Asian-American and Latina women.

The "Lupus in Minorities: Nature Versus Nurture (LUMINA)" study, which tracked death, damage, disability and disease activity, began in 1993 and found that genetic and ethnic factors are more significant than socioeconomic factors in influencing disease activity. Latinas and African American women with lupus often develop the disease earlier in life, experiencing greater disease activity, such as kidney problems. Also, Latinas are more likely to have poorer prognosis, higher occurrences of kidney involvement and damage, and rapid rates of kidney failure. Also, Latinos endure a higher level of cardiac arrest.

Lupus is caused by environmental factors, including extreme stress; smoking; some medications and antibiotics; infections such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), parvovirus (such as fifth disease), hepatitis C infections, and the Epstein-Barr virus (in children); and chemical exposure to compounds such as trichloroethylene in well water and dust. Also, there are three types of Lupus: Cutaneous Lupus affects the skin, Drug-Induced Lupus is caused by prescriptions and Systemic Lupus affects almost any (and sometimes every) organ or system of the body.

The immune system disease impacts many different parts of the body at different times, including joints, skin, organs and the brain. Also, inflammation can prompt complication in the lungs, kidneys, blood vessels and the heart. Additionally, there is no cure for Lupus but it can be managed with various treatments, which can take years of prescription adjustment. There are only a few drugs approved by the FDA for treatment, and the goal of those drugs are to minimize reduce symptoms, organ damage and suppress the immune system. Mild cases of lupus include over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medicines. For more severe cases of lupus, stronger prescription drugs are prescribed to quiet the immune system and protect organs.

Symptoms manifest in the form of fatigue, hair loss, painful or swollen joints, fever, skin rashes and kidney problems. However, diagnosis can be difficult. Lupus symptoms often mimic other illnesses. Nonetheless, young women should check with their doctors if they have unexplained rashes, ongoing fever, aching or fatigue. Also, it's recommended that they monitor the progress of the disease if they have it.

Rheumatologists specialize in treating lupus, and they can address organ-specific issues, joint pain and inflammation. The specialists warn patients with lupus to protect themselves from the sun because the UV effects of the sun can activate the disease. They also inform patients with lupus to be cautious when pregnant.

For women with Lupus, pregnancy can be dangerous. Both mothers and children experience complications in 50 percent of pregnancies. All lupus pregnancies are considered high-risk, and there is increased risk of miscarriage, premature delivery and preeclampsia, as well as heart problems in the baby. The medical treatments Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and Prednisone are considered harmless during pregnancy. However, Methotrexate and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) should not be used in pregnancy and should be stopped for at least a month prior to getting pregnant.

Lupus isn't just impacting women in the U.S.; it's affecting women across the world. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, at least five million people worldwide have some form of Lupus. LFA also reminds that no two cases of lupus are identical, and it can present itself uniquely in every patient, and each patient requires different treatments.