Halsey bravely shared her lupus diagnosis this week, explaining that she is lucky to be alive.
The Colors singer isn't the only celebrity to have spoken out about the illness, with Selena Gomez needing a kidney transplant in 2017 due to the condition.
That said, lupus is still a condition that many people are unaware of. To help shed some light on the illness, HELLO! spoke to Dr. Ranj to find out what lupus is, what the symptoms are, and how it can be treated.
What is lupus?
"Lupus is an autoimmune condition, which means the immune system isn't working properly and is attacking the body itself," explains Dr. Ranj.
"This results in inflammation throughout the body which causes the symptoms you might see."
What causes lupus?
"We don't know for certain what causes lupus, but we do know that it tends to happen in people who probably have a genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease and then a trigger sets it off," Dr. Ranj explains.
"This trigger could be exposure to sunlight, certain infections and some types of medication."
© GettyIs lupus contagious?
"Lupus itself is not an infection nor contagious, and you cannot 'pass it on' to others around you," reassures Dr. Ranj.
Who can catch lupus?
Dr. Ranj explains that lupus is more commonly diagnosed in women (90% of people with the condition are female).
It is most common in people between the ages of 15 and 45 years, and those of Asian, African and Caribbean heritage.
Lupus rash
"Diagnosing lupus isn't easy as the symptoms can be vague and mimic other conditions," Dr. Ranj explains. "Classically, people talk about a lupus rash on the face (nose and cheeks) which appears on exposure to the sun and looks like the shape of a butterfly - but this isn't always the case."
Lupus symptoms
"Lupus symptoms are widespread and include extreme fatigue, joint and muscle pain, anaemia, headaches, hair loss, mouth ulcers, brain fog, a prolonged temperature, swollen glands, changes in the colour of your fingers and toes when cold or stressed (called Raynaud's phenomenon), and mood changes.
© Getty"Lupus can show itself in flare-ups (where symptoms get much worse) and two people with lupus may have very different symptoms and experience with the condition," he adds.
How to test for lupus
"If you have symptoms suggestive of lupus, your doctor may perform tests (including blood tests) to look for indicators and after-effects of the condition," Dr. Ranj says.
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Lupus treatment
"Unfortunately, whilst we cannot cure lupus, we can do lots of things to help manage it and make symptoms less troublesome," reassures Dr. Ranj.
"This includes medicines to calm down inflammation (such as ibuprofen and steroids), and medicines to modify the immune system (such as hydroxychloroquine and immunosuppressants). It's important for people with lupus to be under the care of a doctor so that the condition can be monitored throughout the course of their life."
