Autoimmune diseases causing itchy hands and feet include Scleroderma (itchy, swollen, thickened skin), Psoriasis/Psoriatic Arthritis (itchy, scaly patches, joint pain), Cutaneous Lupus (rashes, itching, swelling), and Rheumatoid Vasculitis (rashes, sores, discoloration on extremities). Dermatomyositis and Chilblain Lupus can also manifest with skin issues on hands and feet, leading to itching and sensitivity.
Pruritus most frequently and severely affects the patients with dermatomyositis, in which itch is strongly correlated with disease activity and severity, thus increased itch could also indicate a disease flare.
Three key signs of Sjögren's syndrome are dry eyes, dry mouth, and profound fatigue, stemming from this autoimmune condition attacking moisture-producing glands, though other symptoms like joint pain, swollen glands, and systemic issues can also occur.
In some cases, pregnancy may have a profound effect on the symptoms of autoimmune diseases, such as in the case of Rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Pregnancy may trigger an autoimmune disorder. An existing autoimmune disorder can interfere with pregnancy, causing harm to the fetus.
Palindromic rheumatism (PR) is an autoimmune related disease characterized by sudden, multiple, and recurring attacks of joint pain and swelling, typically in the hands and feet. Each episode may last from several hours to several days.
Chilblain lupus symptoms may also include:
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.
Autoimmune diseases do tend to run in families, which means that certain genes may make some people more likely to develop a problem. Viruses, certain chemicals, and other things in the environment may trigger an autoimmune disease if you already have the genes for it.
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.
Patients experiencing chronic fatigue related to autoimmune conditions often describe their symptoms as more than just feeling tired during the day. This is significant exhaustion that impacts quality of life and makes it difficult to function on a normal basis.
Specific Tests for Sjögren's Syndrome
Your doctor may recommend some or all of the following tests: Blood and urine tests, to look for the presence of antibodies common in Sjögren's syndrome. The results of an ANA (antinuclear antibody) test will determine if you have an autoimmune disorder.
Common symptoms of autoimmune disease include:
The presence of Sjögren's disease appears to aggravate the symptoms of vaginal atrophy. This may be manifested by thinning of the pubic hair, loss of vaginal rugae, decreased vaginal moisture, and narrowing of the vaginal introitus.
Takeaways. Itchy hands and feet may be due to a regular problem such as dry skin from harsh weather or scrubbing too hard on the skin. It might also be due to a more serious problem such as uncontrolled diabetes and liver disease.
Itching on the whole body might be a symptom of an underlying illness, such as liver disease, kidney disease, anemia, diabetes, thyroid problems and certain cancers. Nerve disorders. Examples include multiple sclerosis, pinched nerves and shingles (herpes zoster).
You may need to apply an ointment, cream, or lotion to the affected area to help reduce bothersome symptoms related to the autoimmune skin condition. A topical steroid cream may be prescribed in more severe cases.
If you have a positive ANA test, an ENA test can check the blood for the presence of antinuclear antibodies that are known to be markers of certain diseases. The ENA test can help your health care team and your rheumatologist diagnose autoimmune diseases such as: Lupus.
Psoriasis is one of the most well-known autoimmune skin disorders. It causes skin cells to multiply rapidly, leading to thick, scaly patches that can be itchy and painful.
Vasculitis: Vasculitis involves inflammation of blood vessels, leading to various symptoms depending on the affected organs. The diagnosis often requires imaging studies and biopsies, making it one of the more challenging autoimmune diseases to identify.
Some infections may increase the chance of developing an autoimmune disease. One virus in particular - Epstein Bar virus (EBV) – has been studied across various autoimmune diseases, including SLE, Sjögren's, and multiple sclerosis. This virus is highly prevalent and is known to cause mononucleosis in young adults.
Early signs of lupus often include extreme fatigue, joint pain/swelling, unexplained fever, and skin rashes, especially a butterfly-shaped rash on the face, but symptoms vary greatly and can develop slowly or suddenly, including hair loss, sun sensitivity, chest pain, and Raynaud's phenomenon (fingers/toes turning white/blue in cold). Because these symptoms mimic other conditions, seeing a doctor for persistent issues like headaches, mouth sores, or swelling is key for proper diagnosis.
As many as 4 out of 5 of those people are women. Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and scleroderma are examples of autoimmune disorders marked by lopsided female-to-male ratios. The ratio for lupus is 9 to 1; for Sjogren's syndrome, it's 19 to 1.
But essentially everyone with lupus is EBV-infected, studies have shown. An EBV-lupus connection has been long suspected but never nailed down until now.
People with Sjögren's might experience symptoms like: