What is lupus that Selena Gomez has been diagnosed with

Singer-actor-entrepreneur Selena Gomez recently opened up on her battle with lupus, an autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with back in 2014. The diagnosis came with a stroke warning along with side effects such as fluctuating weight due to the medication. Recently, on the Apple+ TV series Dear, Gomez spoke about her battle with the disease. Here's everything about lupus and Gomez's latest health update.

As per Mayo Clinic, lupus is an autoimmune disease that stems when the body's immunity system begins to attack its own tissues and organs, causing inflammation of kidneys, skin, blood cells, heart, brain, and lungs. Although it can be difficult to diagnose since its symptoms are largely similar to other ailments, a facial rash resembling a butterfly's wing is said to be common.

While on the show, Gomez spoke at length about her struggles with the autoimmune disease. "So hearing from a doctor, 'You could have had a stroke onstage, you could have died' — it was a lot. But I didn't allow it to sink in; I didn't want to process it," she said. The singer further revealed that the disease took a toll on her.

Gomez was diagnosed with lupus in 2014, but three years after that, she informed her fans about how serious her medical condition had become. In a post on Instagram, she wrote, "So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health."

In 2017, Gomez underwent a kidney transplant after Francia Raisa, her best friend, became a donor. Reportedly, lupus can't be cured completely. In fact, it is said that even after a kidney transplant, only the condition created in the kidneys due to lupus can be reversed, but it cant be cured. Therefore, the singer must undergo lifelong treatment and medication to suppress the disease.