In 2016, Selena Gomez shocked millions of her fans when she cancelled her world tour due to panic attacks and depression. This is because of side effects due to lupus. She also revealed that she underwent chemotherapy to tackle the condition.
According to experts, lupus causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy tissues. As of press time, the Lupus Foundation of America said that the diseases has already affected more than five million people worldwide. However, according to Google Trends, many people still do not know much about lupus and its implications. It has been reported that Google searches spike reached about 250 percent with the keywords 'selena gomez health disease' just hours after the singer made her announcement.
Likewise, there was also data record showing that there has been a 250 percent spike in searches for 'what is lupus'. Furthermore, Mail Online reported that search keywords ‘is lupus cancer?’ also earned a noticeable spike which shows that people are confused on why their favorite singer needed chemotherapy treatment. Lupus Foundation of America describes Lupus as a chronic, autoimmune disease that is detrimental to the human body. It can affect the skin, joints, and other vital organs. The term ‘Chronic’ refers to signs and symptoms that have tendencies to last longer than six weeks, and often reaches many years.
A person with lupus will know and feel that something is wrong his immune system. This is the system that can fight off foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria, and germs which cause various illnesses. The immune system is also responsible for producing antibodies. This is a form of protein that protects the body from foreign invaders.
On the other hand, ‘autoimmune’ refers to the immune system’s lack of capability to differentiate foreign invaders from our body’s healthy tissues. Autoantibodies attack and destroy healthy tissues. These can also cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body. Aside from Gomez, another singer suffering from lupus is Toni Braxton, who was reportedly hospitalized in September.
