How obvious is lupus?

The three most common symptoms of lupus are: joint pains. skin rashes, which may become noticeable after being out in the sun. extreme tiredness, known as fatigue.

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Is it possible to have lupus and not know?

Lupus can be hard to diagnose because it has many symptoms that are often mistaken for symptoms of other diseases. Many people have lupus for a while before they find out they have it. If you have symptoms of lupus, tell your doctor right away. No single test can tell if a person has lupus.

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How long can you have lupus without knowing?

Lupus is known as "the great imitator" because its symptoms mimic many other illnesses. 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.

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What does undiagnosed lupus feel like?

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.

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What does a mild case of lupus look like?

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.

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The Expert Series S6E2: Visible Symptoms of Lupus

44 related questions found

Does lupus show up on blood work?

Antibody blood tests

The test you will hear about most is called the antinuclear antibodies test (the ANA test). 97% of people with lupus will test positive for ANA.

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What can mimic lupus?

Common diseases that overlap with lupus
  • Autoimmune thyroid disease.
  • Celiac disease.
  • Myasthenia gravis.
  • Antiphospholipid syndrome.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Polymyositis.
  • Dermatomyositis.
  • Scleroderma.

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What are the early signs of lupus in females?

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.

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What can lupus be mistaken for?

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.

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What organ does lupus affect first?

Kidneys About one half of people with lupus experience kidney involvement, and the kidney has become the most extensively studied organ affected by lupus. Lungs About 50% of people with SLE will experience lung involvement during the course of their disease.

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What does untreated lupus look like?

Cutaneous lupus (skin lupus) can cause irritating and unsightly rashes. Untreated, these rashes can cause long-term damage, such as permanent hair loss, scarring and skin discoloration. Some types of cutaneous lupus can develop into skin cancer.

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How common is lupus in Australia?

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), also known as lupus, is a disease of the immune system, which is estimated to affect more than 20,000 people in Australia and New Zealand. Symptoms can be vague and vary between people, and therefore diagnosis can be difficult.

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Why is lupus so hard to detect?

Diagnosing lupus is difficult because signs and symptoms vary considerably from person to person. Signs and symptoms of lupus may change over time and overlap with those of many other disorders.

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What is borderline lupus?

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.

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What is the beginning of lupus?

The first symptoms of lupus usually occur somewhere between the teen years and the 30s and may be mild, severe, sporadic, or continual. Common general symptoms include fatigue, fever, and hair loss. Lupus can also affect individual organs and body parts, such as the skin, kidneys, and joints.

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What are the red flags of lupus?

One common sign of lupus is a red, butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks. Chest pain. Lupus can trigger inflammation in the lining of the lungs. This causes chest pain when breathing deeply.

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What is the best indicator of lupus?

98% of all people with systemic lupus have a positive ANA test, making it the most sensitive diagnostic test for confirming diagnosis of the disease. The test for anti-nuclear antibodies is called the immunofluorescent antinuclear antibody test.

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What does the first lupus flare feel like?

Some common symptoms of a flare include: A butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose. Rashes on other parts of the body. Pain or swelling in joints.

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What looks like lupus but not?

Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease

“There are people who have a milder form of an autoimmune disease who just don't meet the classification criteria for lupus. We call that undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD),” says Dr. Petri.

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What is pre lupus?

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).

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Is it lupus or Hashimoto's?

How are lupus and Hashimotos diseases diagnosed? Since the symptoms are so alike, it can be difficult to distinguish between lupus and Hashimoto's disease unless you have a characteristic sign, such as a butterfly rash or notable family history.

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Is it lupus or MS?

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.

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Does lupus cause weight gain?

Weight changes — Lupus can sometimes cause weight loss or weight gain. Weight loss may be unintentional and due to decreased appetite or problems with the digestive system (see 'Digestive system' below). It can also be a side effect of some medications used to treat lupus.

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What is the life expectancy of a person with lupus?

With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span. It is true that medical science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, and some people do die from the disease. However, for the majority of people living with the disease today, it will not be fatal.

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