Healthy Living

What does lupus look like?

What does lupus look like?

What is lupus?

Lupus affects many parts of the body and it is a disease of the immune system. Generally immune system produces antibodies that protect against virus, bacteria and other foreign materials, However the immune system becomes overactive and then by mistake healthy cells and tissues can get attacked in lupus.

Lupus affects the skin, joints, heart, kidneys and lungs. The symptoms in lupus may develop slowly or quickly. These symptoms may be mild or severe and may come and go.

The types of lupus are:

  • Systemic lupus erythematosus- this is most common one and affects the joints, kidneys, skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, brain and even nerves.
  • Discoid lupus erythematosus - only the skin is affected in this kind. Usually in this type a scaly patch or red rash is noticed on the face or scalp. Often the rash comes in the form of a disk or circle for few days or even years. After a while it may go back and then come again. Also it can cause sores in the nose and mouth.
  • Drug induced lupus- certain prescription medicines taken for longer duration may cause this types of lupus. It causes joints, muscle pain, rash and fever. However, the heart, kidneys, blood vessels and brain is not affected.
  • Neonatal lupus- this type is a rare one and only affects newborn babies. The baby develops skin rash, problems of liver and heart. Over the course of several months the symptoms gradually go away. Serious heart problems are caused by neonatal lupus. According to doctors, a certain part in the mother’s blood that is passed at birth from the mother on to the baby causes this neonatal lupus. During pregnancy the doctor will monitor you for certain complications.

How lupus looks like

According to the lupus foundation of America, Joint pain and weakness is experienced by ninety percent of patients with lupus. Lupus triggers inflammation that causes discomfort. Often people with lupus arthritis experience pain and stiffness in the joints. Also in the muscles weakness can be experienced by people with lupus. Especially in the shoulders, upper arms, pelvis and thighs there is weakness. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be triggered which causes numbness and pain in the fingers and hands.

Joint swelling, pain and weakness are classic signs of lupus. A person may easily have mistaken this for rheumatoid arthritis. With lupus the swelling may come and go and progressively does not get worse. In younger patients often lupus tends to occur.

  • Disc shaped rash

Skin is affected by lupus and this comes in different forms. It causes different types of rashes. In people with chronic cutaneous lupus discoid lupus occurs. On the cheeks, nose and ears a coin shaped red scaly rash is produced. This rash is painless and it does not cause itching but it may leave the skin discolored once it fades away. Hair loss may occur if the rash is on the scalp. This loss of hair can be permanent.

  • Ring shaped rash

The rash may look scaly red patches or ring shaped in people with subacute cutaneous lupus. Usually on those parts of the body the rash appears that are exposed to the sun. This includes chest, neck and trunk. You can become more sensitive to sun if you have subacute cutaneous lupus. Hence when you go outside or sit under fluorescent lights you need to be careful.

  • Butterfly rash

On your face you may notice sunburn –like rash if you have systemic lupus flares up. A signs of acute cutaneous lupus is the butterfly rash. This rash gives a distinctive butterfly –like appearance. Across the nose it spreads and on both the cheeks it fans out. Even on other parts of the body this rash may emerge particularly those parts exposed to the sun such as legs, arms and trunk. Acute cutaneous lupus is very sensitive to light.

The oxygen rich blood is transported by the red cells from the heart and lungs to other parts of the body. These healthy red blood cells get damaged in lupus causing a condition called hemolytic anemia. If the red blood cells are less, then the following symptoms can be caused such as:

    • Blood clots

Normally when there is an injury in order to prevent excess bleeding, the blood clots. However, in lupus thrombosis may occur in which when not needed clots form. If the clot breaks off and gets lodged in the blood vessels of the brain, lungs and other body parts then this can be very dangerous.

  • The nerves

Often in lupus nerves are attacked, these nerves carry message to the rest of the body from the brain and can cause various symptoms that can cause damage. This includes

  • Confusion
  • Vision problems
  • Mood swings
  • Headache
  • Numbness
  • Dizziness
  • Raynauds phenomenon is caused when the nerves of the hands and feet are attacked by lupus. The tip of the toes, fingers may turn red white or bud. Also fingers and toes may feel pain while responding to cold or may become numb.
    • Lungs

There may be trouble breathing when the lungs are affected in lupus. There may be increased pressure on the lungs if the membrane around the lungs is inflamed. This makes breathing painful. Also lupus may cause the blood vessel connecting the heart to the lungs to thicken. This can cause pulmonary hypertension which is a form of blood pressure. In order to keep up the heart has to work harder since to pick up oxygen, less blood travels from the heart to the lungs.

  • Fluid build up

Kidneys filter blood and remove waste form the body. Kidneys are attacked by lupus. According to the lupus foundation of America Kidney related complications are developed by as many as 40 percent people with lupus and in children with lupus up to one third of them develop this.  Fluid begins to build up in the body as the kidneys are damaged. Due to fluid build up in the ankles, feet and legs, edema or swelling happens which is the first symptom of lupus nephritis.

  • Water retention and blood urine

Another hallmark symptom of lupus is kidney problems. This can cause water retention. This causes water weight gain, swollen or puffy feeling and can also lead to bloody urine.

  • Chest pain

The heart or its outer or inner lining may get inflamed due to lupus. This causes sharp chest pain, shortens of breath and blood flow that is interrupted. This increases the risk of hart disease. Often both, the outside lining and the inside of the lungs is affected by lupus.

  • Fatigue

A lot of diseases can cause fatigue. Due to anemia, the energy levels may become low and it may cause overall feeling of exhaustion.

  • Hair loss

Often in the frontal region the person may lose hair and this can cause baldness that is embarrassing. Also in the scalp, sores can be caused by lupus. Get your thyroid evaluated if you have these symptoms. A classic symptom of hypothyroidism is hair loss.

Usually the mouth sores are painless. They are so painless that the person having it may not be aware. Often these sores are present on the roof mouth and in the nose too sometimes they are present.

  • Seizures and memory loss

Brain can be attacked by lupus. This causes disorientation, seizures, memory loss and the person may become psychotic. Some may experience these symptoms and some may not.

  • Mental health problems

In lupus the person does not know what exactly is happening hence may feel unstable and may not know what’s wrong. The person may live with fear and anxiety. Even though other symptoms may not be there.