Lupus is a family of noncontagious chronic diseases where the body's immune system is compromised. White blood cells, the cells that defend the body against disease, begin to think that healthy tissue is jeopardized. This leads to a wide spread of symptoms, ranging from inflammation to sunlight sensitivity. It has been known to attack any part of the body, including the nervous system, heart tissue, and joints.


	Lupus is not a contagious disease, and there are no known measures to prevent onset of the disease.


	Due to the nature of the disease, the causes of lupus are vast and not well understood. There are many genetic factors that have been linked with the disease, primarily genes related to white blood cells. Women and non-caucasian people appear to be at the greatest risk for contraction of the disease (hopkins). The link between lupus and women seems to be primarily linked with the production of estrogen, where women appear to be at nearly ten times the risk during reproductive years. In addition, there have been links shown with environmental factors including cigarette smoke, silica, mercury, various medications, and ionizing radiation.


	The most common forms of lupus, Systemic and Discoid Lupus Erythematosus, are characterized by a reddening of the skin, but have a broad spectrum of symptoms. Discoid Lupus Erythematosus, by definition, only affects the skin. The term discoid comes from the coin shaped lesions that are characteristic of the disease. Other symptoms can include a wide variety of skin ailments, such as peeling, scarring, blistering lesions, skin pigmentation, and brittle fingernails.
	Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, as the name suggests, can affect virtually any connective tissues in the body, such as the lining of blood vessels and cartilage (NIH). Around a third of people with SLE develop kidney disease.


	In milder cases, it's possible to treat the symptoms via lifestyle changes and anti-inflammatory medication. Things like stress, sunlight, infections, and an unhealthy diet can trigger lupus flares. In severe cases, immunosuppressants and corticosteroids can be prescribed (medline). Also, preventative heart care is vital to the longevity of the patient with systemic lupus.


	Lupus is incredibly difficult to diagnose, due to the symptoms being so varied.