In the last few years, thanks to the pandemic, we have all become very aware of the importance of our immune systems. But sometimes, the system that is supposed to protect us from disease, ends up doing just the opposite.
In today’s Healthcast, we take a look at lupus and why this auto-immune disease can be especially tough on children.
Ariana Scott loves to play outdoors. Ironically, it was a day in the sun that triggered the first sign of trouble for the 12-year-old.
“We took her to the beach, and once we left the beach -- I think two days after that -- she had a rash all over her face. It was in her ears, she had sores in her mouth, also along with it, her hair started falling out,” Ariana’s mother, Marlene Scott, said.
Scott said Ariana also lost her appetite and was constantly tired. A routine trip to the pediatrician turned their world upside down.
“They were going to let me go, but I told them I noticed there is something wrong with my daughter, she is not being herself. That’s when they ran a test and said she might have lupus,” Scott said.
Ariana was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that can affect the joints, lungs, kidneys, heart and eyes.
Females and Hispanic and African-Americans are most at risk.
“In children, lupus presents in different ways -- same as in adults -- but kids tend to be more affected at first sight with the kidneys’ involvement, brain involvement -- they can have arthritis, they can have a rash, but the kidneys get affected in all our patients,” Dr. Maricarmen Lopez-Pena, a rheumatologist at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, said.
Lopez-Pena said genetics, stress and sunlight all play a role in lupus.
Medications can help control the debilitating symptoms, but it’s a delicate balance, especially in children.
“When we treat lupus, we are trying to fight against the immune system that cannot regulate itself,” she explained. “So by decreasing the immune system, we are able to control the disease. But at the same time, decreasing the immune system will lead to infection.”
Right now, Ariana is doing well and Scott is determined to keep her that way.
“It means that I have to make sure she takes her medications and do what she has to so that she can live a long life,” Scott said.
While the symptoms of lupus can be debilitating, with proper treatment, including limiting time in the sun and stress, patients can live normal lives.
Examples of that include celebrities like Lady Gaga, Nick Cannon, Toni Braxton and Selena Gomez, who have all been diagnosed with lupus.