Symptoms of Lupus
People who have Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) commonly just called Lupus are usually diagnosed with every illness under the sun before their blood is finally tested and confirmed for Lupus. It's not a big surprised though if you think about it. Lupus is an autoimmune disease which means that it can attack everything in your body. It can be hard for a doctor to diagnose you when your symptoms could be any number of things and any two people with Lupus could have completely different systems. It all depends on what their particular immune system is attacking. Here is a list of some common symptoms.
Instructions
1. The red Lupus butterfly rash; it runs across the face touching the cheeks and nose. In the early stages it may only show on the nose or maybe on the cheek. Regular lotions are powerless to its redness and dryness.
2. Arthritis symptoms. Your joints get stiff and achy. This is why people in the past who had Lupus would go to a Rheumatologist; they thought they actually had arthritis. So many Lupus patients went to Rheumatologists that Rheumatologists became the Lupus specialist even though arthritis is only one of many unrelated symptoms. Lupus also causes muscle loss.
3. Eczema and Psoriasis. Overly dry, itchy and sensitive skin; skin that truly itches all day long. It's so sensitive that the air from a fan, the tightness of socks, or a back rub irritates it. It makes it very hard to stay in the same position very long. Lupus is also linked to skin disorders such as Vitiligo where the pigment disappears from the skin. I wonder if Michael Jackson ever proved that he had Vitiligo.
4. Being tired. If your immune system won't stop attacking, every day is a sick day. The more stress you put on your body the more your immune system will work and the more tired you will be.
5. Horrible circulation. Lupus patient's fingers, toes, nose, ears etc... need to be kept warm. When they get cold their blood vessels constrict which makes it even harder to warm them.
6. Hair loss. Some Lupus patients lose all of their hair, some only lose a little. Most claim to have always had very thin hair.
7. Sores in the mouth and on the outer body as well. These sores and any cut or scratch etc... heal very slowly. The skin also breaks more easily for cuts and scrapes when they happen. The inability to heal as quickly as normal people makes it hard on Lupus patients when they get the common cold or any illness.
8. Inability to concentrate and memorize. It is very hard to remember things as well. I liken it to a computer. The hard drive works just fine but the cash runs a little slow.
9. Sometimes, out of nowhere, any particular body part can spasm or feel like it's being stabbed or hurt in some way(sometimes like growing pains), for no particular reason.
10. Eyes, nose, ears and mouth problems. May feel like a sinus infection that will never go away or like your hearing is going. Nose may run or have sores.
11. Severe irritation to the sun even with sun block on. Being out in the sun or under bright lights for a few hours can be enough to cause exhaustion.
12. There are other problems that Lupus causes inside the body that you won't see happening such as kidney failure, Osteoporosis, blood disorders, heart disease etc... Sadly, there are so many symptoms; it's hard to name them all. The best thing to do if you think you may have Lupus is to make an appointment with your Doctor and talk about how you feel.
Tags: immune system, Lupus patients, feel like, Lupus also, nose ears