A lot of people are afraid of lupus disease, and yet don’t really know what it is. Simply put, it’s a disease that’s associated to the skin, and is generally manifested by ugly skin rashes. It’s a chronic disease that also affects a person’s joints and every other major organ in a person’s body. These would include the heart, lungs, kidneys, and even the brain. It is mostly genetic, although there are cases wherein patients that have been diagnosed with the disease appear to have developed it through environmental factors such as sunlight, stress or infection.

If you’re interested in helping lupus patients fight against the disease, you may take part in an annual charity walk for lupus patients. You could even donate to charity or even sponsor fund raising projects to help patients by earning charity money to fund their treatment. There are around 1.4 million patients in the United States alone that have been diagnosed with the disease, with many more who shy away from society and never get proper medical attention. You can help.

There are various symptoms of lupus, most commonly lupus rash. The warning signs can actually mimic those of other diseases, so proper diagnosis is important and critical. Some of the symptoms include low temperature fever, serious fatigue, pain and swelling along joints and, of course, rashes. The rash appears to be a butterfly shape and is colored red to purple. Currently, medical technology lacks a single test to diagnose the disease. Thus, it takes months to even years after the first signs of symptoms before physicians can confirm the onset of lupus.