What are my Lupus Symptoms?

HEALTHJOURNEYS
Jane Doe Lupus

I am a 46 year old woman who was diagnosed with lupus in 2017. I suffer from achy and swollen joints, extreme fatigue, skin rashes, and occasional chest pain. Through the help of my family and loved ones, I am able to work through my condition.

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Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can cause joint pain, fever, skin rashes, and organ damage. There’s currently no cure for lupus and it requires life-long management. Lupus is most commonly seen in women — typically between the ages of 15 and 45.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly referred to simply as lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause swelling (inflammation) and pain throughout your body. When you have an autoimmune disease, your body’s immune system fights itself. The immune system is supposed to fight possible threats to the body — infections, for example — but, in this case, it goes after healthy tissue.

If you have lupus, you might experience joint pain, skin sensitivities, and rashes, and issues with internal organs (brain, lungs, kidneys and heart). Many of your symptoms might come and go in waves — often called flare-ups. At times, symptoms of lupus might be mild or not noticeable (meaning they’re in remission). Other times, you could experience severe symptoms of the condition that heavily impact your daily life.

Because lupus can affect so many different parts of the body, it can cause a lot of different symptoms. And many people with lupus don’t have all the symptoms.

Common symptoms of lupus

The most common lupus symptoms (which are the same for men and women) are:

  • Extreme fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
  • Pain or swelling in the joints
  • Swelling in the hands, feet, or around the eyes
  • Headaches
  • Low fevers
  • Sensitivity to sunlight or fluorescent light
  • Chest pain when breathing deeply

Many people with lupus also have:

  • A butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose
  • Hair loss
  • Sores in the mouth or nose
  • Fingers and toes turning white or blue and feeling numb when a person is cold or stressed (Raynaud’s Disease)

Lupus symptoms may come and go — and they can change over time.

Does that mean I have lupus?

Not necessarily. Lupus shares a lot of symptoms with other diseases, like arthritis and diabetes.

So if you have these common lupus symptoms, it’s important to talk to your doctor and find out whether you have lupus or a different health problem. That way, you can get the treatment you need.

There are several kinds of lupus:

  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common type. It can be mild or severe and can affect many parts of the body.
  • Discoid lupus causes a red rash that doesn't go away
  • Subacute cutaneous lupus causes sores after being out in the sun
  • Drug-induced lupus is caused by certain medicines. It usually goes away when you stop taking the medicine.
  • Neonatal lupus, which is rare, affects newborns. It is probably caused by certain antibodies from the mother.

Anyone can have lupus. It can happen to women, men, children and even newborns. It’s much more commonly seen in women than men, with about 90% of diagnosed cases being women of reproductive age. 

Experts have a difficult time estimating how many people in the United States have lupus because it is difficult to diagnose. Lupus has a wide variety of symptoms that can also be signs of other medical conditions. Because of this, there may be people with lupus who go undiagnosed throughout their lives.