People first realize they have lupus through a combination of persistent, unexplained symptoms like extreme fatigue, joint pain/swelling, skin rashes (especially a butterfly rash on the face after sun exposure), fevers, and sometimes Raynaud's (white/blue fingers in cold) or hair loss, often experiencing these in cycles called flares, with diagnosis coming after a doctor investigates these varied signs, sometimes taking years.
Early Signs and Symptoms
Persistent Fatigue: Extreme tiredness that doesn't improve with rest. Joint Pain and Swelling: Often affecting fingers, hands, wrists, and knees. Skin Rashes: Notably the "butterfly rash" across the cheeks and nose. Fever: Unexplained, recurrent fevers.
The condition causes inflammation in your kidneys. More common in people of color, early diagnosis can help prevent complications and permanent kidney damage. If you notice leg, ankle, feet, face, or hand swelling, talk to your doctor about lupus nephritis.
About 10% of all people with lupus will experience hives (urticaria). These lesions usually itch, and even though people often experience hives due to allergic reactions, hives lasting more than 24 hours are likely due to lupus.
If lupus affects your brain, you may have headaches, dizziness, behavior changes, vision issues, and even strokes or seizures. Many people with lupus have trouble with memory and thinking.
Lupus can attack many different parts of the body. Some call it the cruel mystery. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can strike any part of the body, but the wide range of symptoms can be easily mistaken for something else.
Common symptoms of lupus include fever, joint pain and swelling, hair loss, and a butterfly rash across your cheeks and nose. While tremors aren't a common symptom of lupus itself, they can develop in some people with the condition.
Subacute cutaneous lupus is a rash with red, ring-shaped sores or scaly patches with distinct edges. The rash commonly occurs on the back, chest, and arms but sometimes extends to the buttocks. It does not affect the face or scalp very often.
They're also common in autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, where inflammation plays a key role. Night sweats can point to neurological issues such as autonomic neuropathy, which affects the body's temperature control.
Some lupus complications can include:
4 Urine Smells With Lupus: Chicken Broth, Ammonia, Fruity, and Fishy. Medically reviewed by Zeba Faroqui, M.D.
Swollen glands. Over time, people with lupus may get swollen lymph glands during a flare. Headaches. These are usually related to stress and tension but can be related to a lupus flare.
Chilblain lupus symptoms may also include:
August 29 — The Lupus Research Alliance is excited to share the good news that a potential new medicine for lupus, anifrolumab, reduced disease activity versus placebo in a second Phase III study. Anifrolumab is a therapeutic antibody that blocks type I interferons, a molecule that promotes lupus inflammation.
The most common symptom of lupus is fatigue, which means feeling extremely tired. Fatigue can affect a person's physical and mental health and quality of life. It can also make it hard for people with lupus to socially connect with others.
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.
This misguided immune response can cause a wide range of symptoms. Chills are not generally considered a common symptom of lupus. But because lupus can affect many parts of the body, some people may experience chills as part of their overall condition.
Careers That May Trigger Lupus Symptoms
In general, some types of jobs may be harder for people with lupus to manage, including: Physically demanding jobs like construction, waiting tables, or nursing. Outdoor jobs like landscaping or lifeguarding.
The most common symptoms include joint and muscle pain, overwhelming fatigue, skin rashes, fevers, and hair loss. Some manifestations of lupus are not immediately apparent, and early diagnosis plays an important role in preventing damage to vital organs. If you think you might have lupus, you should see your doctor.
Many people with lupus suffer from gastrointestinal problems, especially heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Peptic ulcers can also occur, often due to certain medications used in lupus treatment, including NSAIDs and steroids.
Oral lesions associated with active disease are usually red ulcers surrounded by a white halo and white radiating lines. These are the more typical “discoid” lesions and are only seen in people with active disease, and you should tell your physician as soon as you notice them.
Early Signs of Lupus
Many people who have lupus don't realize they have it. Some lupus symptoms are distinct, such as a butterfly-shaped rash on the face. But many symptoms are vague, including joint pain and sensitivity to sunlight.
The medicines used most often to manage lupus include:
Lupus is not always easy to diagnose because the symptoms can be similar to other conditions. A GP will usually do some blood tests. They may diagnose lupus if the tests show you have high levels of a certain type of antibody, and you also have the typical symptoms of lupus.
Fever of 100.3 with chills and so much pain.” If you have lupus and experience fever, chills, or sweating, talk with your doctor. Learn more about the causes behind these symptoms and what you can do to manage them.