Overview
What is lupus?
Your immune system protects you from illness. It does this by attacking bacteria, viruses or toxic chemicals that enter your body.
If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy tissue within your body. Lupus is one type of autoimmune disease. Lupus is most common in women in their late teens to forties.
People with lupus develop swelling in their body. This swelling can damage skin, joints and internal organs. While there is no cure for lupus, it is manageable.
Location
Convenient care in one location
Meet our team
A team approach to care
Our care team includes experts in rheumatology, social work and pharmacy. We offer on-site immunizations, medication therapies and laboratory tests, and work together to coordinate your medical care and social and emotional support.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Understanding lupus symptoms
Lupus is a complex chronic condition that affects your entire body.
Depending on the type of lupus you have, you may experience:
Rashes
Hair loss
Constant cough or ongoing shortness of breath
Sores in the mouth or nose that last a few days
Frequent episodes of mouth sores
Joint stiffness or swelling in two or more joints that lasts for a few weeks
Constant chest pain that gets worse when you take deep breaths or cough, that lasts longer than 24 hours
Blood in the urine, foamy appearing urine
Morning puffiness in ankles/around eyes
New seizures
Treatments and research
Managing lupus
There is no cure for lupus. The goal of lupus treatment is to manage or “quiet” the disease. Proper management can reduce lupus flares. Lupus flares are times of increased disease activity.
Tests and prevention
Lupus self-management
Our extensive education program supports your lupus management needs.
Following are a few tips to help you manage your health. For even more ideas visit self-management tools, ideas and resources or view our brochure (pdf).
Patient and support service
Finding support
The Wisconsin Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America offers support groups across the state.