In a post on social media earlier today, Selena Gomez shared with her fans that her reason for lying low these past few months was because she had gone for a kidney transplant.
The hit singer was diagnosed with lupus and underwent chemotherapy in 2013. The lupus had progressed to the point where a kidney transplant was necessary for Gomez to retain her health.
Lupus is defined by Health24 as a disease which causes chronic inflammation as an autoimmune response to the body's own cells. This response damages healthy cells, and lupus sufferers are unable to suppress the defective immune cell attack. The condition can affect the skin, the joints as well as the organs.
This autoimmune disease is eight times more prevalent in woman than men and is very difficult to diagnose. Diagnosis also takes a long time.
Gomez is one of roughly 50% of lupus patients who develop lupus nephritis (persistent inflammation of the kidney), which can progress to renal failure. When that happens, daily dialysis or kidney transplantation is the only option for survival.
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