How to Diagnose Lupus
Check your face for a butterfly rash., Note any mouth or nasal sores., Look for symptoms of inflammation., Pay attention to your urine., Note any problems with your brain and nervous system., Ask yourself if you are more fatigued than usual., Watch...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Check your face for a butterfly rash.
An average of 30 percent of lupus patients develop a characteristic rash over the face often said to look like a butterfly or wolf bite.
The rash spans across the cheeks and nose, often flaring out over the entirety of the cheeks and occasionally covering a portion of skin near the eyes.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. -
Step 2: Note any mouth or nasal sores.
If you frequently get sores on the roof of your mouth, along the side of your mouth, on your gums, or inside your nose, this could be another warning sign.
In particular, this is often the case if these sores are not actually "sore." In most cases, mouth and nasal sores associated with lupus are pain-free.If these sores get worse in sunlight, this is an even stronger sign of lupus.
This is called photosensitivity. , Inflammation of the joints, lungs, and the lining around the heart commonly occurs in patients who have lupus.
On top of this, blood vessels are usually inflamed.Most notably, you might see inflammation and swelling around the feet, legs, hands, and eyes.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.Inflammation can also take place in the digestive tract and can be spotted through symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. , While urine abnormalities can be hard to detect at home, there are a few symptoms you might be able to detect.
If a kidney is unable to filter your urine due to lupus, your feet might swell.
Worse yet, if your kidneys have begun failing, you might feel nausea or weakness. , Lupus can affect the nervous system.
Some symptoms, like anxiety, headaches, and vision problems, are common and difficult to assign to lupus; however, seizures and changes in personality are concrete symptoms taken very seriously.
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. , Extreme fatigue is another common symptom of lupus.
It can be caused by a number of different factors, but often these factors can be linked to lupus.
When fatigue is accompanied by fever, you may be even more certain that it is lupus., You may notice that your fingers or toes change color (white or blue) when exposed to cold.
This is called Raynaud’s phenomenon, and is common with lupus.
You may also notice dry eyes and shortness of breath.
If all of these symptoms occur together, you may be dealing with lupus. -
Step 3: Look for symptoms of inflammation.
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Step 4: Pay attention to your urine.
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Step 5: Note any problems with your brain and nervous system.
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Step 6: Ask yourself if you are more fatigued than usual.
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Step 7: Watch for other strange things in your body.
Detailed Guide
An average of 30 percent of lupus patients develop a characteristic rash over the face often said to look like a butterfly or wolf bite.
The rash spans across the cheeks and nose, often flaring out over the entirety of the cheeks and occasionally covering a portion of skin near the eyes.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 you frequently get sores on the roof of your mouth, along the side of your mouth, on your gums, or inside your nose, this could be another warning sign.
In particular, this is often the case if these sores are not actually "sore." In most cases, mouth and nasal sores associated with lupus are pain-free.If these sores get worse in sunlight, this is an even stronger sign of lupus.
This is called photosensitivity. , Inflammation of the joints, lungs, and the lining around the heart commonly occurs in patients who have lupus.
On top of this, blood vessels are usually inflamed.Most notably, you might see inflammation and swelling around the feet, legs, hands, and eyes.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.Inflammation can also take place in the digestive tract and can be spotted through symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. , While urine abnormalities can be hard to detect at home, there are a few symptoms you might be able to detect.
If a kidney is unable to filter your urine due to lupus, your feet might swell.
Worse yet, if your kidneys have begun failing, you might feel nausea or weakness. , Lupus can affect the nervous system.
Some symptoms, like anxiety, headaches, and vision problems, are common and difficult to assign to lupus; however, seizures and changes in personality are concrete symptoms taken very seriously.
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. , Extreme fatigue is another common symptom of lupus.
It can be caused by a number of different factors, but often these factors can be linked to lupus.
When fatigue is accompanied by fever, you may be even more certain that it is lupus., You may notice that your fingers or toes change color (white or blue) when exposed to cold.
This is called Raynaud’s phenomenon, and is common with lupus.
You may also notice dry eyes and shortness of breath.
If all of these symptoms occur together, you may be dealing with lupus.
About the Author
John Edwards
Specializes in breaking down complex pet care topics into simple steps.
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