Every year on May 10, the world celebrates World Lupus Day to raise awareness about this serious ailment that necessitates a thorough understanding, and support for each person affected. That is not it, the chronic autoimmune disease needs more research and studies so that people affected are treated in a better way. On this day, a variety of national and local groups, communities, patient advocates, and healthcare workers get together for a day of action to raise awareness of the disease and encourage people to learn more about it and take action to combat it. Celebrities With Chronic Illness: From Selena Gomez With Lupus to Kim Kardashian's Battle With Psoriasis, Here's a List of Stars With Health Conditions.

World Lupus Day 2023 Date & Significance

WLD is celebrated on May 10. Lupus can affect anyone and is typically diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 44. However, women are more likely to develop lupus than men, which may be related to increased oestrogen production. Oestrogens are known immune system modulators that affect cytokine production and are involved in the pathogenesis of lupus. According to studies, there are at least 50 lakh lupus patients worldwide, of whom 34 lahks (68%) have SLE, with an estimated prevalence of 43.7 (15.87 to 108.92) per 1,000 persons. Despite the fact that this complicated, incapacitating disease can be fatal, there is very little public knowledge about it.

Theme for World Lupus Day 2023

The goal of this year's World Lupus Day (purple day) is to raise public awareness of lupus diagnoses and its psychological, social, and financial repercussions by focusing on the subject "Make Lupus Visible" in 2023. The campaign also aims to persuade the World Health Organisation to include lupus on its list of top global health concerns.

World Lupus Day (WLD) History

In order to raise awareness of the illness, which may have devastating impacts on both those who have it and their loved ones, Lupus Canada established World Lupus Day in 2004. 13 lupus advocacy groups banded together to speak out against their various governments in an effort to raise more money for lupus research, better patient care, greater incidence data, and public awareness. Since then, the day has become an annual celebration in an increasing number of countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South America, and Europe.

What is Lupus?

When the immune system assaults its own tissue, it results in lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes discomfort and inflammation in the body tissues. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), drug-induced lupus, and neonatal lupus are the four different kinds of lupus, with SLE being the most prevalent. Lupus is frequently referred to be a "invisible disease" since its symptoms can change and resemble those of other illnesses, including fever, joint pain, skin rashes, and problems with internal organs (the kidney, heart, lungs, and brain). This can cause lupus to be misdiagnosed.

Various lifestyle changes can help with better day-to-day management even if no single treatment is certain to improve a lupus patient's condition. Right from taking prescription medicine as directed,  keeping a regular exercise schedule, giving up smoking and alcohol, Using sunblock creams to getting enough rest lowering stress, you help yourself in many ways.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2023 06:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).