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The symptoms that a patient suffering from lupus can present are countless depending on which part of the body the condition is affecting. Some of the symptoms are:

• Fever
• Extreme fatigue
• Chronic pain
• Organ damage
• Chest pains
• Pneumonia
• Anaemia
• Blood clots
• Skin rashes
• Itching
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Anxiety
• Memory loss
• Depression
• Behaviour swings
• Seizures / stroke
• Photosensitivity
• Weight loss
• Mouth / Nose ulcers
• Painful and/or swollen joints
• Swelling in feet, legs, hands, and/or eyes

Lupus is not contagious.

Lupus is diagnosed through careful examination of symptoms, laboratory tests, medical history and family history. There is no single test to determine whether or not a person has lupus.

Lupus is not easy to diagnose. Lupus symptoms come and go so most doctors don’t think about lupus until disease activity is far advanced leading to complications.

The different form of lupus include:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (Discoid)
• Drug-induced erythematosus
• Neonatal lupus

Lupus affects different people in different ways. Depending the patient’s symptoms and situation different treatment with medications and/or integrative therapeutic interventions may be used. Some of which are:

• Faith in God
• Corticosteroids
• NSAIDs
• Anti-inflamatories
• Immuno-suppressives
• Organ transplants
• Chemotherapy
• Music therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Healthy Diet
• Detoxification
• Supplementation
• Avoidance or proper management of stress
• Meditation

Lupus attacks females more than males. Nine (9) out of every ten (10) sufferers are women. Lupus usually attacks most women of child-bearing age of 15 – 44 years.

Black women have a three times higher incidence of lupus according to the Lupus Foundation of America. Black women also tend to have more organ damage from lupus.

Lupus nephritis is inflammation in the kidney caused by Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It usually affects patients aged 20 – 40 years and occurs within first five years of lupus symptoms. There are very few signs during the early stages of lupus nephritis. About 50-60% of all lupus patients will experience some form of kidney complications. Lupus nephritis is an important cause of both acute kidney injury and end-stage renal disease.

Few signs show at the onset of lupus nephritis and so significant damage may be done to the kidneys before diagnosis. The symptoms to watch out for include:

• Weight gain
• Sudden/ unexplained swellings in the feet, ankles, legs, fingers, arms or eyes
• Foamy urine
• High blood pressure
• Blood in urine
• Increased urination especially at night

Lupus nephritis may diagnosed by urinalysis, blood tests and or kidney biopsy.

Holistic management of patients with lupus nephritis should include prevention of and surveillance for complications, blood pressure control, renal preservation, vascular risk minimization and attention to overall quality of life. Some of the treatments are:

• Corticosteroids such as prednisolone to help to stop inflammation
• Immunosuppressive drugs like Mycophenolate mofetil, Azathioprine, Cyclophosphamide
• Other medications Rituximab
• Organ transplant
• Proper diet
• Drinking adequate water

• Most hospitals in Ghana have no lupus clinics or lupus specialists
• As at 2019, there are only two rheumatologist at the in the country with a population of about 30 million
• The National Health Insurance Scheme does not cover most of the medications for lupus treatment
• There is a great need for specialists in autoimmune diseases in Ghana
• The lupus situation in Ghana is compounded by very low awareness, misdiagnosis, poor access to healthcare and medications as well as sociocultural systems.