Selena Gomez Has Lupus: 5 Important Facts About This Disease

Selena Gomez critics must be ashamed about calling her out on her weight now.

The singer recently revealed the real reason for her lengthy absence from the spotlight - she had been getting treatment after being diagnosed with lupus.

Although the 23-year-old had been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease in 2013, resulting in the cancellation of her tour, her experience with lupus has returned to the center stage in the wake of her revelations in a recent interview.

"I was diagnosed with lupus, and I've been through chemotherapy. That's what my break was really about. I could've had a stroke," she told Billboard. "I wanted so badly to say, 'You guys have no idea. I'm in chemotherapy. You're a*******.' I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again."

Considering that lupus treatment can cause bloating or swelling, it's no wonder that the singer was observed to be less slim than she used to, hence the critical remarks about her appearance. If her critics only knew that she had actually been dealing with lupus since her late teens, they would have thought twice before commenting on her physique.

What Lupus Is

"Normally, your immune system only attacks foreign invaders," Vox explained. "But with lupus, the immune system attacks healthy tissue in virtually every organ - including the skin, kidneys, lungs, and brain."

According to Mayo Clinic, lupus may be caused by a combination of genes and the environment. Those who have relatives or ancestors suffering from lupus are likely to develop it when they come in contact with environmental factors that can trigger it, such as sunlight, infections, or certain medications.

Lupus Isn't Just One Type

There are three - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), cutaneous, and drug-induced.

"Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the form of the disease that most people refer to when they say 'lupus'," Lupus Research Institute explained. "The word 'systemic' means the disease can affect many parts of the body - including the kidneys, brain or central nervous system, blood and blood vessels, skin, lungs, heart and joints."

Cutaneous lupus is the kind that only affects the skin, while the drug induced kind are triggered by certain medications.

Lupus Has No Cure

Fortunately, there are ways to manage the disease so the patient is able to enjoy life without debilitating health. Also, ongoing research has made progress in developing better treatments for those with lupus.

"Treatment depends on the intensity of the disease," CNN said. "Milder cases can be treated with immunosuppressants or anti-inflammatories, such as aspirin or steroids. However, more severe cases can be treated with chemotherapy drugs."

Lupus Is the Great Imitator

"Lupus is notoriously hard to diagnose because symptoms are similar to so many other disorders," Billboard noted in another piece. "Fatigue, headaches, swollen joints, fever and anemia are some of the most common symptoms -- but there's no one test that can definitively diagnose the condition."

To effectively diagnose the disease, doctors compare various test results and note symptoms and inflammation experienced by the patient.

Lupus and Weight Gain

In some patients, unexplained weight loss or gain is one symptom. However, during a course of treatment involving the steroid prednisone, the patient may experience fluid retention and hunger pangs. As such, the patient may look puffy and even gain weight, according to S.L.E. Lupus Foundation.

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