Lupus doesn’t have a clear set of signs that people can see. You may know that something’s wrong, even though it may take a while to be diagnosed.
Lupus may be hard to diagnose. It’s different for every person who has it. It can look like different diseases. Lupus is often mistaken for other diseases. For this reason, lupus has been called the “great imitator.” The signs of lupus differ from person to person. Some people have just a few signs, others more.
Common Signs
Common signs of lupus are:
- Red rash or color change on the face, often in the shape of a butterfly across the nose and cheeks
- Painful or swollen joints
- Unexplained fever
- Chest pain with deep breathing
- Swollen glands
- Extreme fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
- Unusual hair loss (mainly on the scalp)
- Pale or purple fingers or toes from cold or stress
- Sensitivity to the sun
- Low blood count
- Depression, trouble thinking, and/or memory problems
Other signs are:
- mouth sores
- convulsions (unexplained seizures)
- hallucinations “seeing things”
- repeated miscarriages
- unexplained kidney problems
Many Shades
Lupus has many shades. It can affect people of different races, ethnicities, and ages, both men and women. You can’t take a pill and make it go away. You can’t catch lupus from another person. Others may have trouble understanding that you’re sick.
The good news is that you can get help and fight lupus. Learning about it is the first step. People who look for answers are more likely to find them.
