Lupus is a disease in which the immune system attacks the patient’s organs and tissues, causing inflammation. There are a few lupus symptoms such as pain and swelling in joints, a butterfly shaped rash on the nose and cheeks, and more. Here are some of the major risk factors that can cause lupus:

1. Family history

Lupus tends to run in families, so one of the major risk factors for lupus is a family history of it. If you have lupus in your genes you are more likely to develop lupus. While the actual cause of lupus is usually unknown for a patient, it is thought that those with a predisposition to lupus due to genetics can develop lupus when an environmental factor triggers it. If you don’t have a family history of lupus it is still possible to develop lupus as most cases are sporadic but studies do show that having a family history of lupus makes it 5-13% more likely to develop.

2. Environmental exposure

While researchers still aren’t sure what exactly triggers lupus, the following environmental factors are seen as the most likely culprits: ultraviolet rays, medication that makes you more sensitive to the sun, infections and viruses, exhaustion, and stress. If you have a lot of exposure to one or more of the listed environmental exposures you may be at a higher risk of developing lupus especially in combination with other risk factors such as family history.

3. Being female

Being female can put you at a higher risk of developing lupus. This is most likely due to the levels of estrogen present in women. Studies show that many women have lupus flare ups before menstrual periods as well as during pregnancy when estrogen production is at its peak. On top of that many studies have shown that taking medications that increase estrogen levels can increase the likelihood of lupus flare ups. Statistically, lupus also affects more women than men with 90% of patients with lupus being women.