When your joints are sore and achy, you might assume you have
arthritis. But if that joint pain strikes when you're still in
your 30's, or even your 20's, it might be another condition
entirely. You might have an autoimmune disease called systemic
lupus erythematosus, or lupus, for short. An autoimmune disease
means that your immune system, which normally serves as your
body's first defense against infections, mistakenly attacks your
own tissues. Imagine if you hit your hand over and over and over
again. The skin would turn red and swell up, and it would
probably hurt quite a bit. Well, the same kind thing happens
inside your body when your immune system attacks your tissues.
They swell up, and they hurt. Almost everyone with lupus has
joint pain and swelling, but depending on what part of your body
the lupus is attacking, you could have other symptoms too. If
it's your skin, you might have a rash on your face and body. If
lupus attacks your digestive tract, you might feel sick to your
stomach. If it attacks