The Lupus Foundation of America does a great job of explaining what lupus is, so I'll borrow what they have to say on the subject:
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years.
In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs ("foreign invaders," like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues ("auto" means "self") and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.
Lupus is also a disease of flares (the symptoms worsen and you feel ill) and remissions (the symptoms improve and you feel better).
There is no cure for lupus and there are very few lupus-specific medications on the market. This is in part because everyone's symptoms are so different. It's estimated that 1.5 million Americans have lupus.
I think it's important to raise awareness about lupus because although a person may not look sick, she can still feel pretty terrible and have a tough time with everyday activities.
Purple is the color of lupus awareness. So, Marion's Mittens donated a percentage of sales from purple mittens to the Lupus Foundation in 2015! The donation specifically went to the Walk to End Lupus Now in Boston in the fall.
Wear purple! Shop our purple mittens on Etsy.
Here are some other resources about lupus:
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