What is Lupus?

The immune system is designed to attack foreign substances in the body. If you have lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system and it attacks healthy cells and tissues. This can damage many parts of the body such as the:

• Joints
• Skin
• Kidneys
• Heart
• Lungs
• Blood vessels
• Brain

There are many kinds of lupus. The most common type, systemic lupus erythematosus, affects many parts of the body. Other types of lupus are:

• Discoid lupus erythematosus - causes a skin rash that doesn't go away
• Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus - causes skin sores on parts of the body exposed to sun
• Drug-induced lupus - can be caused by medications
• Neonatal lupus - a rare type of lupus that affects newborns.