Pollution
Even the air we breathe may cause lupus, according to new research. Scientists at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center found that particulate air pollution—like that from the exhausts of diesel-run vehicles—may trigger flares and worsen symptoms.
Pollution may also be particularly hard on younger patients. One study found that air pollution is “strongly linked to disease activity in children and adolescents with [lupus].” Another study indicates that air pollution increases airway, lung, and systemic inflammation in children with lupus.
