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Lupus Awareness Month videos
Lupus is an auto-immune disease that triggers inflammation in different tissues of the body affecting the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels. Common lupus symptoms include: extreme fatigue, headaches, painful or swollen joints, fever, anemia, swelling of the feet, legs, hands, and eyes, chest pain, butterfly rash, sun sensitivity, hair loss, mouth ulcers, etc.
Lupus is currently affecting 1.5 million Americans, of whom 90% are women and 15% are children.
African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian women are three times more likely to develop Lupus than their White counterparts. Women of color also experience more harsh symptoms leading to higher Lupus-related death rates. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through proper diet and exercise improves outcomes, but the best way to delay long term organ damage is early screening.
If you or someone you know believes they are experiencing Lupus symptoms or at risk for Lupus, please contact your primary care physician.
The following video stories provide personal insight on Lupus from the perspective of patients, providers and caregivers.
Dr. Motunrayo Adisa is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist. She is an attending physician and assistant professor at Rush University. In addition to dermatology, Dr Adisa’s interests include ethnic skin issues and inflammatory skin diseases like and those similar to Lupus.
Dr. Mohamad Alhosaini is a Nephrologist at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, IL. He has been practicing for more than 15 years and has assisted many Lupus patients with managing their kidney function.
Ayanna is a 29-year old Lupus warrior. Right after college, in her early 20s, Ayanna learned that she had Lupus. She has continuously surpassed expectations by managing her symptoms, being a lupus community advocate, and changing her lifestyle to support her diagnosis.
Bea is the caregiver for her daughter who was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 15. She has been her daughter’s caregiver for nearly 15 years and supports the fight against lupus by participating in Lupus related fundraisers and community programming.
Jaleesa is a 30-year old Lupus survivor. She was diagnosed with Lupus at 15 years of age after many emergency room visits and hospitalizations for chronic pain and kidney problems. She has not experienced a lupus flare in the last few years.
Dr. Ailda Nika has been a practicing physician for nearly 20 years. She specializes in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. She sees a wide range of patients including those with Lupus.
Oya is in her 20s, and a single mother living in Baltimore, Maryland. Since her diagnosis, she is a lupus advocate and raises her community’s awareness about the disease.