Lupus seminar to explain signs,
symptoms
by Mia
Barron, R.N.Department of Rheumatology
Lupus is a disease for which there is no cure. It is difficult to diagnose, and the cause is unknown. The disease has a more detrimental effect on African- Americans. Researchers would like to know a lot more about why lupus and other rheumatologic diseases have that effect. When a person has lupus, the immune system attacks the body’s own tissue and organs. In some cases, the patient experiences only occasional symptoms and mild discomfort. In other cases, the symptoms are life-threatening.
Lupus can cause severe joint and muscle pain, anemia, fatigue, hair loss, photosensitivity and skin rashes, seizures and organ failure that lead to death.
Approximately 1.4 million Americans have lupus and of those, 90 percent are women. Lupus usually strikes women between 15 and 45 and is two-to-three times more common among black women. Hispanics, Asians and Indians also have a higher incidence of lupus.
MUSC researchers gathered information from minorities in the Carolina Lupus Study and the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Gullah Health Study to look at the genetic association of lupus, the potential effects of a patient’s environment and how lupus impact blacks disproportionately.
The MUSC Division of Rheumatology, along with the Office of Women’s Health and Project Sugar, developed a community outreach program to educate and increase public and health care providers' awareness of lupus. The purpose of this program is to create an avenue for lupus education and awareness in collaboration with the Office of Women’s Health and the national nursing organizations.
Lupus seminar
participants include from left, Dr. Gary Gilkeson, MUSC rheumatologist;
Kenya Logan, MUSC social worker; Mia Barron, R.N.; Bernadette Pinckney;
and Dr. Diane Kamen, MUSC rheumatologist.The first seminar was co-sponsored by the Tri-County Black Nurses Association and the MUSC Office of Diversity on Feb. 24 in the MUSC Institution of Psychiatry. The second seminar was co-sponsored by the local Chi Eta Phi nursing organization on May 19 at the Charleston Public Library.
The seminar included a panel of guest speakers from the MUSC Division of Rheumatology to explain the signs and symptoms of lupus, a patient advocate to describe what it is like living with lupus, a lawyer to discuss legal issues and a social worker to discuss communication strategies and the biopsychosocial effect of lupus.
This community outreach program was very successful in providing information, health resources and research opportunities for patients and health care providers.
The next seminar is scheduled from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Friday, June 17 at Franklin C. Fetter Health Clinic, 81 Meeting Street.
If you are interested in learning more about lupus and would like to participate in a seminar, call 792-8997 or Ann Smuniewski at 792-5158.
Friday, June 17, 2005
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