Not a Contagious Disease

Lupus is not a contagious disease. A person cannot transmit it sexually or in any other way to another person. However, in rare cases, women with lupus may give birth to children who develop this form of the disease. This is known as neonatal lupus. Some triggers for the appearance of lupus symptoms are sun exposure, infectious diseases, or certain medications. The risk of developing lupus also increases if a person is female, aged 15–45 years, and has a family member with lupus. Lupus life expectancy is unpredictable, but the risk of dying is higher the more severe the symptoms are. As a result, people with lupus have to depend on drugs for the rest of their lives. As an autoimmune disease, lupus cannot be completely cured and will be in the sufferer's body for the rest of his life. Even so, this disease can still be minimized for all its symptoms and effects by carrying out routine care and treatment according to the patient's needs. Antimalarial drugs, such as hydroxychloroquine as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as naproxen and ibuprofen, to treat pain and fever are usually used to help prevent recurrence and relieve lupus symptoms. Exposure to the sun's UV rays can cause damage to normal cells in humans. In people with lupus, the cells are more susceptible to UV exposure, which can trigger an inflammatory response, such as rashes, fatigue, and others.