World Lupus Day is observed on May 10 every year. Lupus is a serious life-altering and fatal disease that requires in-depth understanding and support for the affected persons. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the unaffected and those affected to join hands and get involved in doing whatever it takes to fight this unpredictable and commonly misunderstood disease.
However, in people with lupus, the immune system creates autoantibodies that destroys healthy tissue. The consequence of this can be widespread, causing damage, inflammation, and pain throughout the body. Lupus is a potentially fatal disease. Most organs and other parts of the body can be affected, including the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and skin.
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To raise the profile of this event and increase awareness, World Lupus Day is supported by Julian Lennon, a musician and son of John Lennon, a world-famous member of the Beatles pop group
Julian Lennon is a Global Ambassador for the Lupus Foundation of America. Lupus claimed the life of Julian Lennon’s childhood friend Lucy, who lost her battle with lupus in 2009 at the young age of 46.
Things to know about Lupus:
- Lupus is a long term condition that has no known cure and is more commonly found in women than men.
- At the moment medics are unsure what causes the illness but viral infections, strong medication, sunlight, puberty, childbirth and the menopause can all trigger it.
- Lupus is often diagnosed by a blood test which will show up a high number of antibodies if the condition is present.
- It causes inflammation of the joints, skin, and other organs depending on if it is mild, moderate, or severe.
- If the condition is mild sufferers will experience joint and skin problems and tiredness.
- When it is present in a moderate form it causes inflammation of other parts of the skin and body, including lungs, heart, and kidneys.
- Severe lupus can cause irrevocable damage to the heart, lungs, brain, or kidneys.
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Selena Gomez and lupus
In an interview with NBC News, Selena Gomez said, “I would get fevers, headaches, I would get fatigued but I always just keep going and kind of ignored it to be honest because it wasn’t something I maybe I wanted to accept.”
Subsequently, in a speech at a Lupus Alliance event in 2017, she said: “I was diagnosed with lupus about five or six years ago and I’ve been speaking out about my disease to raise awareness and so that people see a doctor right away if they feel they have any symptoms and just so that honest people can understand what it means to live with lupus.”
