Also check for discoid rashes around your face, scalp, and neck. These rashes show up as red, raised patches, and they can be so severe that they leave scars even after they’re gone. Pay special attention to rashes triggered or worsened by sunlight. Sensitivity to ultraviolet light, whether natural or artificial, can trigger sores on sun-exposed parts of the body and may worsen a butterfly rash on your face. This rash is more severe and develops faster than a usual sunburn would.
If these sores get worse in sunlight, this is an even stronger sign of lupus. This is called photosensitivity.
If you have inflamed joints, they may feel warm and tender and look swollen and red. Inflammation of the heart and lungs can be detected at home based on chest pain. If you feel a sharp chest pain when you cough or take a deep breath, you can count this as a possible symptom. The same applies if you feel shortness of breath during these periods. Other signs that your heart or lungs could be inflamed include abnormal heart rhythms and the coughing up of blood. [5] X Research source Inflammation can also take place in the digestive tract and can be spotted through symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Note that while headaches are very common with lupus, they can be very difficult to attribute to the disease. Headaches are common and have many possible causes.
Before your appointment, write down information about when your symptoms began and how frequent they are. Also make a note of any medications and supplements you take as possible triggers. [10] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source If a parent or sibling has ever had lupus or another autoimmune disorder, you should bring that information with you as well. Patient and family history are very important for diagnosing lupus.
For example, a positive ANA test can also indicate scleroderma, Sjogren’s syndrome, and other autoimmune diseases.
Note that this test does not diagnose lupus by itself. Many other conditions can also cause similar abnormalities.
Another test that is non-specific for lupus but can test for inflammation is a C-reactive protein (CRP) test. This liver protein can indicate the presence of inflammation, but there are many other conditions that can cause this protein to show up.
A blood test measuring your erythrocyte sedimentation rate. This test measures how fast it takes red blood cells to settle at the bottom of a test tube in one hour. A fast rate can indicate lupus. A fast rate can also be symptomatic of other inflammatory conditions, cancers, and infections, so it is not an absolute test, either. [15] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source An antibodies to phospholipids (APL ) test. An APL test looks for antibodies that attack phospholipids, and they tend to be present in 30 percent of patients with lupus. An antibodies to Sm test. This antibody attacks the Sm protein in the cell nucleus, and it is present in about 30 to 40 percent of lupus patients. Moreover, it rarely shows up in people without lupus, so a positive result almost always guarantees a lupus diagnosis. An anti-dsDNA test. Anti-dsDNA is a protein that attacks double-stranded DNA. Roughly 50 percent of lupus patients have this protein in their blood. It is very rare in people without lupus, so a positive result almost always results in a lupus diagnosis. Anti-Ro (SS-A) and Anti-La (SS-B) tests. These antibodies attack the RNA proteins in your blood. It is more common in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome, however.
A chest x-ray can reveal shadows in your lungs, which could indicate areas of fluid or inflammation. An echocardiogram uses sound waves to measure the beating of your heart and to detect possible problems in the heart.
There is no cure for lupus; however, treatments can ease the symptoms.
Cutaneous lupus erythematosus only affects the skin and does not threaten the other organs of your body. It rarely develops into SLE. Drug-induced lupus can affect the skin and your interior organs, but it is induced by the use of specific medications. It usually goes away once those medications are out of the patient’s system. The symptoms associated with this form of lupus are typically rather mild.
Common lupus triggers include medications, infections, or contact with sunlight. Lupus might be triggered by sulfa drugs, drugs that make you more sensitive to sunlight, penicillin, or antibiotics. [22] X Research source Physical conditions that can trigger lupus include infections, the common cold, a virus, being exhausted, getting an injury, or emotional duress. It is the ultraviolet rays from sun that can trigger lupus. Ultraviolet rays from fluorescent light bulbs can do the same thing.
