National Library of Medicine.
African American and Hispanic women are also more likely to have a severe form of the disease.
Plus, symptoms can pop up and suddenly go away and range from mild to serious.
The symptoms of lupus can affect the entire body.
New signs of the disease can also spontaneously show up.
What is lupus?|Lupus symptoms|Lupus flare-ups|Lupus complications
What is lupus, exactly?
Lupus can damage any part of your body, according to theCDC.
The main message is that my lupus may be different from your lupus, Dr. Buyon says.
But what does lupus look like and feel like generally?
What are the signs and symptoms of lupus?
It most commonly presents in the wrists, knuckles, and fingers.
This also makes the condition easy to confuse with rheumatoid arthritis, another autoimmune disease.
Lupus also tends to occur in younger patients than RA, Dr. Byon says.
Developing a skin rash when exposed to sunlight is a very characteristic symptom of lupus.
Lupus often causes inflammation of the heart or its outer or inner linings.
Lupus can also affect both the inside of the lungs and the outside lining of the lungs.
Some people say it hurts when they take a deep breaththats fluid around the lungs, Dr. Buyon says.
If your chest is bothering you when you breathe, its worth mentioning to your doctor.
Even if its not a symptom of lupus, there could be another underlying health issue at play.
The hair becomes dry and brittle, leading to breakage.
Lupus can also cause sores on the scalp, which can impact hair health.
They typically present on the roof of the mouth and sometimes even in the nose.
Kidney damage is another hallmark symptom of lupus and typically occurs in more serious manifestations of the disease.
The problem is that someone can have deteriorating kidneys without knowing until it becomes serious, Dr. Buyon says.
It can also lead to bloody or oddly foamy urine.
Anemia means you dont have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen through your body.
Anything that causes inflammation in the body can cause anemia, Dr. Ludmer explains.
With lupus, there is a lot of inflammation.
Thats a scary thought.
The unpredictable nature of ones health can be veryanxiety-provoking.
Feeling unstable and also not knowing whats wrong if you start experiencing symptoms often makes matters even worse.
Lupus can also attack the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic.
you could experience seizures, disorientation, psychosis, and have memory loss, Dr. Buyon says.
While some patients brains can be impacted by the disease, others dont experience these cognitive symptoms at all.
What does a lupus flare-up feel like?
If youve been diagnosed with lupus, youll likely know when a flare-up is starting, Dr. DeQuattro says.
Can lupus cause complications?
Lupus complications can occur if the condition goes undiagnosed or untreated.
That doesnt mean youre guaranteed to develop these complications, though.
Finding the right treatment for your personal situation will also help lower your risk of complications.
