Early diagnosis and treatment are critical. A diagnosis can be developed from the patient's medical history, physical exam, and laboratory tests. However, diagnosis remains very difficult as there is no one set of symptoms that are characteristic of the disease, and many of the symptoms may be found in other disorders. Since the cause remains a mystery, there is no known treatment or cure, but specialists can usually keep the disease under control. The most important point to remember is that each patient is different and methods of treatment will vary.
Treatment is centered on medications, rest, avoidance of sun, stress, and infectious diseases.
Eighty to ninety percent of patients can look forward to a normal life span. While science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, new research brings unexpected findings and new hopes. Lupus is not a rare disease. It is more prevalent than AIDS, Sickle Cell Anemia, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, and Cystic Fibrosis combined. Lupus is not infectious, rare or cancerous.