Neither lupus nor rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is inherently "worse," as they are different autoimmune conditions, but lupus (SLE) is often considered more severe due to its systemic nature, potentially affecting any organ (kidneys, brain, heart, lungs) and causing serious complications, while RA primarily targets joints but can lead to worse joint destruction. Lupus joint pain is usually less destructive, shifting locations and less disabling than RA, which can cause irreversible joint damage, but lupus's potential for widespread organ damage makes its management critical and sometimes more complex.
Rheumatoid arthritis primarily targets the joints, although it can also affect the skin, eyes, lungs and heart. Lupus, however, is more systemic and can attack any part of the body, including the skin, joints, kidneys, brain and other organs.
In 2014, there were 2,660,497 deaths in the United States, of which 2036 (0.1%) listed SLE among the causes of death. Approximately 86.2% of SLE deaths occurred among females, with a median age at death of 59 years and the highest proportion of deaths occurring between 45 and 64 years of age.
[The medical name for this condition is Jaccoud's arthropathy. Fingers affected by this condition can be manually straightened but will curve or turn to one side if left alone.] About 95% of lupus patients will experience arthritis or arthralgias (joint pains) at some point during the course of their disease.
Lupus can also cause inflammation in the joints, which doctors call “inflammatory arthritis.” It can make your joints hurt and feel stiff, tender, warm, and swollen. Lupus arthritis most often affects joints that are farther from the middle of your body, like your fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and toes.
Arthritis is the most common form of musculoskeletal pain in lupus. Symptoms in lupus can be divided into two categories called Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 and Type 2 symptoms can differ in response to immunosuppressive agents. Fibromyalgia can cause widespread pain in lupus.
The medicines used most often to manage lupus include:
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.
The three most common symptoms of lupus are:
It's rare but not impossible to have RA and lupus together. There's even a name for it—rhupus. It's estimated that the incidence of rhupus in people with arthritis is only 0.1% to 0.2%. If that does happen to you, your treatment options may not be that dissimilar.
Many people with lupus have trouble sleeping. If you are waking up a lot at night or having trouble falling asleep, this can lead to more tiredness and fatigue throughout the day.
Lupus isn't directly hereditary, meaning it's not passed down from parent to child like some genetic conditions.
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Gout is an extremely painful type of arthritis caused by a buildup, overflow and/or inability to process uric acid.
Lupus and Sjogren's syndrome are both autoimmune diseases. Up to 5.5 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with lupus or Sjogren's syndrome. However, Sjogren's syndrome occurs up to three times more than lupus, but one-third of lupus patients also have Sjogren's syndrome.
The "worst" autoimmune diseases are subjective but often cited for severity, impact on life expectancy, or organ damage, with top contenders including Giant Cell Myocarditis (highly fatal), Vasculitis (damages blood vessels), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) (multi-organ), Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (nervous system), and Type 1 Diabetes (pancreas, life-long management). Other severe conditions include Scleroderma and Myasthenia Gravis.
It is characterized by pain, stiffness, swelling and redness and can limit movement such as in the shoulders or knees. Lupus arthritis is caused by inflammation. After a long time of uncontrolled lupus, however, people can have damage in the joints which causes problems even when the lupus is not flaring.
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.
Lupus causes swelling and irritation, called inflammation, that may affect joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Lupus can be hard to diagnose because its symptoms often are like those of other illnesses. A common sign of lupus is a facial rash that looks like butterfly wings across both cheeks.
Genetic factors: Having certain genetic variations may make you more likely to have lupus. Hormones: Reactions to certain hormones in your body (especially estrogen) may make you more likely to develop lupus. Environmental factors: These are aspects about where you live, work or spend time.
Responses from patients with SLE indicated prevalent diagnoses of depression (40%) and anxiety (42%), as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms thought to be due to SLE—brain fog (42%), headache (36%), anxiety (24%), and depression (21%).
Because symptoms present similarly to other ailments, your doctor may not test you for lupus. Many go through a process of elimination through testing for other causes of the symptoms first.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex multi-system autoimmune disease. Vitamin D deficiency has been proposed as an environmental trigger of disease onset and as a contributor to increased SLE activity.
Many people who have (or suspect they have) lupus see a rheumatologist (or pediatric rheumatologist if a child or teen). This type of doctor specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the joints and muscles.
With lupus, avoid excessive sun, infections, and stress; don't skip medications, smoke, or overexert yourself; and be cautious with certain supplements (like Echinacea), high-sodium foods, and some medications, always consulting your doctor before starting or stopping anything new.