There are more 1,000 people with Lupus in T&T.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) causes the immune system becomes overactive and it starts making antibodies against its own cells.
When the disease is active, immune responses can cause inflammation in cells which can affect the skin, joints, muscles, blood vessels, blood cells, brain and nerves, lungs, heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and/or the linings around internal organs.
At a recent awareness campaign at the Brian Lara Promenade, Port-of-Spain, president of the Lupus Society of T&T (LSTT) Clifford Balgobin urged people with Lupus and their employers to learn all they can about the disease.
LSTT, a non-governmental organisation which has been in operation since 1988, seeks to educate, raise awareness, study trends and seek solutions to the non-communicable disease.
Balgobin said Lupus affects women nine times more than men and usually occurs during their child-bearing years.
However, it can occur in children as well as during menopause and is more likely to develop in Afro-Caribbean and South Asian people.
Symptoms include fatigue, joint/muscle pains and weakness, flu-like illness, skin rashes, including the classic butterfly rash on the cheek and nose, hair loss and mouth ulcers. While the disease is different for each person, Balgobin said many sufferers experience a mild flare which could affect joints, skin and cause fatigue.
He said treatment may help improve symptoms over time and some people might only experience one flare-up while others experience periodic flare-ups followed by periods of remission. Allyson Devenish, of Morvant, said the LSTT’s awareness campaign is “something good.” She said her 23-year-old niece was diagnosed with Lupus three years ago and the family is still learning how to adapt and deal with the flare-ups which sometimes hampers activities.
