And You Thought Vampires Were Cool!

The word Lupus is actually Latin for wolf and was coined in the late 16^th century.  However, Lupus has been documented as a distinct disease as early as ancient Greece when the famous physician Hippocrates, who was born in 460 BC, observed and wrote about the red facial rash which is one of the classic symptoms of Lupus.

There are two theories as to why the word Lupus was given to the disease:  the red facial rash was said to resemble the facial markings on wolves, or the same rash was said to resemble the wings of a butterfly.  The butterfly theory is why it is often seen as a symbol for the disease.

Can you see it?  Maybe Lupus was the inspiration for the development of the Werewolf mystique?

Little new research was done on the disease of Lupus until the mid 1800’s when Viennese physicians Ferdinand von Hebra and Moritz Kaposi observed and wrote that not only did Lupus affect the skin but also appeared to affect the organs of the body as well.

In 1894, an English physician named Thomas Payne discovered that the administration of chloroquine significantly improved the symptoms of the discoid form of Lupus in patients, as well as positively affecting joint pain and fatigue which are symptoms of Lupus as well.  His discovery paved the way for the development of drugs termed ‘antimalarials’ which are also used in the treatment of the disease Malaria.  The most commonly used antimalarial used today is the drug hydrochloroquine, also known as Placquinil, which is prescribed for more serious cases of Lupus.

Also during the late 1800’s, a Canadian physician named Sir William Osler studied and wrote the first complete treatises on Lupus, in which he expanded upon the symptoms of Lupus to include fever and body aches and the involvement of the central nervous system, the muscles, the skeleton, the heart, and the lungs, thereby redefining the disease of Lupus as being systemic (affecting the entire body).  He also discovered and wrote that Lupus is a disease that can relapse and then flare up at periodic intervals.

In the 1920’s and 1930’s, a New York City physician, working at Mount Sinai Hospital, wrote the first detailed pathological description of Lupus in which he defined it as a ‘collagen disease’ which led to our modern classification of Lupus as an autoimmune disorder.  Collagen is found in the body’s fibrous tissues such as skin, ligaments and tendons, as well as in the bones, blood vessels, the cornea of the eye, and in the gut.



In 1946, a pathologist and physician working at the Mayo Clinic named  Malcolm Hargraves, observed and wrote the first description of a cell that is affected by lupus, known as an LE cell.  His work led to the means of faster and more reliable identification of Lupus.  A colleague of Dr. Hargraves was Dr. Philip Hench who discovered the hormone cortisone while studying the disease rheumatoid arthritis.  Cortisone was tried as a treatment for Lupus and was found to positively affect the disease.

It was not until 2011 that the first new drug was developed for the treatment of Lupus, but there is still no known cure for the disease.  Lupus is still considered a mystery to medical researchers, the cause of the disease remains unknown, and many medical professionals believe that Lupus may actually be a combination of several autoimmune diseases rather than one single disease.   Researchers have found evidence that Lupus is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors (including ultraviolet light, bacterial and viral infections, medications, diet and stress) and that Lupus runs in families, meaning that certain inherited genes predispose sufferers to the disease.

Those who suffer with Lupus can improve their quality of life by understanding the disease, following the recommendations of their medical professionals, and keeping a positive outlook.  Because Lupus ‘flares’ up and goes into remission randomly, it can be frustrating to keep a positive outlook but by learning the triggers that cause flares (stress, exhaustion, poor diet, and more), sufferers can learn to minimize the occurrence of flares.  Flares are often preceded by periods of dizziness, skin rashes, and fevers.  When any or all of these symptoms begin it important that the sufferer immediately take steps to avoid a flare by resting, improving their diet, limiting stress, and more.  Additionally, constant contact with their Rheumatologist will help them to manage the disease.

Additionally, it is critical that sufferers of Lupus take the following steps to improve their health and therefore their symptoms of Lupus:  quit smoking; get regular exercise (walking, stretching, and swimming are best); get plenty of sleep and rest; avoid exposure to the sun; avoid fluourescent lights which give off UV rays (similar to the sun); maintain good hygiene to avoid infections; learn to manage pain with appropriate prescription medications, biofeedback, self-hypnosis, acupuncture and other methods; treat your depression (a common symptom of Lupus) and other mental and emotional issues (a stressed mind creates a stressed body); minimize the frustration of forgetfulness which is a common symptom (often called Lupus fog) by developing daily planners, to-do lists, etc., to keep you on track; and be sure to eat a healthy diet.