Is it Lupus? Symptoms and Signs of Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which your body attacks itself, causing chronic inflammation. Ninety percent of people with lupus are women, and those diagnosed with lupus are more likely to be of African or Asian descent. Lupus is especially terrifying because there is no cure and diagnosing lupus can be extremely difficult. Lupus affects everyone differently and lupus symptoms vary widely, so doctors generally look for four or more signs of lupus in their patients before diagnosing lupus.

Signs of Lupus: Joint pain and swelling.

For 70 percent of people diagnosed with lupus, joint pain and swelling was the first sign of lupus disease. Joint pain and swelling are common lupus symptoms. Like many signs of lupus, the joint pain and swelling is symmetrical, appearing in both knees or the same fingers on both hands.

Signs of Lupus: Arthritis

In many patients, the joint pain and swelling that are among the first signs of lupus progresses into arthritis. In others, arthritis is a lupus symptom on its own.

Signs of Lupus: Extreme Fatigue.

The kind of fatigue that is one of the common lupus symptoms is more than normal and occasional general tiredness. Extreme fatigue that sticks with you no matter how much rest and relaxation you get is one of the signs of lupus that waxes and wanes over the course of the disease.

Signs of Lupus: Mental issues.

General discomfort and uneasiness, anxiety, depression and malaise are all common signs of lupus. Memory loss is a less common lupus symptom. The vague nature of these lupus symptoms and the fact that these signs of lupus could just as easily be caused by another disease or disorder is one of the reasons diagnosing lupus is so difficult.

Signs of Lupus: Fever

A low grade fever that is persistent and not otherwise explainable could be a lupus symptom. In many people, fever is one of the first signs of lupus.

Signs of Lupus: The butterfly rash.

A common sign of lupus is a butterfly shaped rash that appears on the face, stretching across the cheeks and nose. Also known as malar rash, it generally gets worse when the lupus patient is exposed to sunlight. For a picture of rashes associated with lupus, click here. The butterfly rash is distinctive, and is one of the few common lupus symptoms that makes diagnosing lupus slightly easier.

Signs of Lupus: Skin disorders and sensitivity to light.

Aside from the famous butterfly rash, other rashes, sores and skin blemishes may be signs of lupus. Sometimes these lupus symptoms only appear when a person with lupus is exposed to ultraviolet light such as sunlight or tanning beds. Other patients who already have these common lupus symptoms will notice that their skin troubles get worse after they have been out in the sun, which may aid in diagnosing lupus.

Signs of Lupus: Heart problems.

Chest pain, and related pain in the neck or arm may be signs of lupus. Inflammation of the heart, or pericarditis, is caused by lupus attacking the fluid sac that surrounds the heart and its presence may be used in diagnosing lupus.

Other Signs of Lupus.

Persistent muscle aches, nausea and vomiting, pleurisy and pleural effusions, weight changes, hair loss and swollen glands can all be lupus symptoms. Doctors may use presence of one or more of these conditions when diagnosing lupus. People who bruise easily may also be exhibiting the signs of lupus.

Sources

The Mayo Clinic
MedlinePlus
WebMD