Lupus Resource Center - All Articles
Health ConditionsAutoimmune DiseasesLupus

Lupus - All Articles

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Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which your body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue. It causes inflammation that can affect many different parts of the body, including the joints, skin, and internal organs. Lupus is much more common in women than men, and doctors don’t know exactly what causes it. There’s no cure for lupus, but treatments and lifestyle changes can help you manage symptoms and lower the risk of complications.

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Common Questions & Answers

What are the early signs of lupus?
Early signs of lupus vary from person to person. Symptoms may come on suddenly or develop gradually, and they may come and go. The most common signs of lupus are fatigue, joint pain, and a butterfly-shaped rash on the face.
Lupus isn’t directly inherited, but it does run in some families. Experts think something in your genes makes you more likely to develop it, in response to a trigger in your environment.
Lupus can affect many of your organs, including your skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain.
Lupus can be hard to diagnose because many other conditions can cause similar symptoms, and there’s no single test that shows you have it. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, as well as conduct blood tests and other lab tests.
No, but it can be managed with medication.
Meet Our Experts In Lupus
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Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
Sian-Yik-Lim-bio

Sian Yik Lim, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor
Sian Yik Lim, MD, is a board-certified rheumatologist at Hawaii Pacific Health. He is a clinical certified densitometrist, certified by the International Society of Clinical Densitometry. He completed his rheumatology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and was also a research fellow at Harvard Medical School. His research interests include osteoporosis, gout, and septic arthritis. Dr. Lim has published in JAMA, Current Opinions in Rheumatology, Osteoporosis International, Bone, Rheumatology, and Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Lim has authored several book chapters, including one titled “What is Osteoporosis” in the book Facing Osteoporosis: A Guide for Patients and their Families. He was also an editor for Pharmacological Interventions for Osteoporosis, a textbook involving collaboration from a team of bone experts from Malaysia, Australia, and the United States.
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beth-biggee-bio

Beth Biggee, MD

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Beth Biggee, MD, is medical director and an integrative rheumatologist at Rheumission, a virtual integrative rheumatology practice for people residing in California and Pennsylvania. This first-of-its-kind company offers whole person autoimmune care by a team of integrative rheumatologists, lifestyle medicine practitioners, autoimmune dietitians, psychologists, and care coordinators.

Dr. Biggee also works as a healthcare wellness consultant for Synergy Wellness Center in Hudson, Massachusetts. Teamed with Synergy, she provides in-person lifestyle medicine and holistic consults, and contributes to employee workplace wellness programs. She has over 20 years of experience in rheumatology and holds board certifications in rheumatology and integrative and lifestyle medicine. Dr. Biggee brings a human-centered approach to wellness rather than focusing solely on diseases.

Dr. Biggee graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree from Canisius College, and graduated magna cum laude and as valedictorian from SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse Medical School. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital, completed her fellowship in rheumatology at Tufts–New England Medical Center, and completed training in integrative rheumatology at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Following her training, she attained board certification in rheumatology and internal medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine, attained board certification in integrative medicine through the American Board of Physician Specialties, and attained accreditation as a certified lifestyle medicine physician through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She is certified in Helms auricular acupuncture and is currently completing coursework for the Aloha Ayurveda integrative medicine course for physicians.

In prior roles, Dr. Biggee taught as an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital (an affiliate of Columbia University). She was also clinical associate of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and instructed "introduction to clinical medicine" for medical students at Tufts. She was preceptor for the Lawrence General Hospital Family Medicine Residency.

Dr. Biggee has published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, Arthritis in Rheumatism, Current Opinions in Rheumatology, Journal for Musculoskeletal Medicine, Medicine and Health Rhode Island, and Field Guide to Internal Medicine.

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Samir Dalvi, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Samir Dalvi, MD, is a board-certified rheumatologist. He has over 14 years of experience in caring for patients with rheumatologic diseases, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, and gout.

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Resources
  1. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus). National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. October 2022.