In this type of cutaneous lupus, the skin lesions are round (disk-shaped), thick, scaly and red. You may experience symptoms including pain, itching and burning. In some cases, you may not experience any symptoms. Most often, symptoms will develop on your face, ears or scalp.
In cutaneous lupus, the immune system targets skin cells, causing inflammation that leads to red, thick, and often scaly rashes and sores that may burn or itch. Symptoms may flare up and disappear in unpredictable patterns. Without treatment, flares may persist for months or longer.
Chronic cutaneous lupus (also called discoid lupus) causes round, disc-shaped sores, usually on the face and scalp. The sores can cause scars or changes in skin color. Subacute cutaneous lupus causes a red scaly rash or red ring-shaped sores. It usually happens on skin that gets sunlight, like the neck and arms.
As a result, people with lupus are frequently misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, skin disorders, psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression or receive no answers at all.
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.
A tell-tale sign of lupus is a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and bridge of the nose. Other common skin problems include sensitivity to the sun with flaky, red spots or a scaly, purple rash on various parts of the body, including the face, neck, and arms. Some people also develop mouth sores.
If you have signs or symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus, such as a butterfly rash on the face or persistent joint pain, your dermatologist may recommend a blood test to help determine if you have the condition. He or she draws blood and sends it to a laboratory.
What causes lupus on the skin? All types of lupus are autoimmune diseases. An autoimmune disease develops when your immune system attacks part of your own body. For example, if you have the most common type of lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), your body may attack the kidneys, skin, or other parts of the body.
The effects lupus may have in and around the eyes include: changes in the skin around the eyelids, dry eyes, inflammation of the white outer layer of the eyeball, blood vessel changes in the retina, and damage to nerves controlling eye movement and affecting vision.
You may experience pain and stiffness, with or without swelling. This affects most people with lupus. Common areas for muscle pain and swelling include the neck, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms.
Common symptoms that indicate a flare are: Ongoing fever not due to an infection. Painful, swollen joints. An increase in fatigue.
Many people with lupus experience a red or purplish rash that extends from the bridge of the nose over to the cheeks in a shape that resembles that of a butterfly. The rash may be smooth, or it may have a scaly or bumpy texture. It can look like a sunburn. The medical term for this type of rash is a malar rash.
Common symptoms include fatigue, hair loss, sun sensitivity, painful and swollen joints, unexplained fever, skin rashes, and kidney problems. There is no one test for SLE. Usually, your doctor will ask you about your family and personal medical history and your symptoms. Your doctor will also do some laboratory tests.
Kidneys About one half of people with lupus experience kidney involvement, and the kidney has become the most extensively studied organ affected by lupus.
Lupus symptoms can also be unclear, can come and go, and can change. On average, it takes nearly six years for people with lupus to be diagnosed, from the time they first notice their lupus symptoms.
A doctor may use the phrase "borderline lupus" when symptoms or blood test results suggest lupus, but there is not enough information for a definite diagnosis.
Lupus often causes skin rashes, arthritis, mouth sores, sun sensitivity, hair loss, or kidney problems, but these symptoms don't show up in MS. Even when lupus affects your nervous system, its most common symptoms are migraine, personality changes, seizures, or stroke, but these aren't typical for MS.
Patients who have fewer symptoms than required to meet classification criteria are said to have “pre-lupus,” “incomplete lupus,” “evolving lupus,” forme fruste lupus (a French term that translates as “incomplete or unfinished form”), or undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD).
Many people who have active lupus feel ill in general. They have fever, weight loss, and fatigue. When their immune system attacks a certain organ or part of the body, they can also have more specific problems.
For example, untreated lupus can lead to blood disorders such as anemia or thrombosis. Other potential serious complications include: Chronic digestive distress that could include difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, indigestion, intestinal inflammation, liver enlargement, or pain when vomiting or feeling nauseous.
Joint pain, swelling, and stiffness are common problems with lupus, especially in hands, wrists, and feet. The swelling doesn't damage your joints, but it can be painful. Lupus can also affect your muscles and cause weakness.