If you have lupus, your eyes might look red, dry, irritated, or swollen, with potential skin issues like rashes, puffiness, or scaly patches on the eyelids, due to inflammation affecting blood vessels or tear glands, sometimes appearing like "pink eye," gritty sensations, or even light sensitivity, as lupus can impact the conjunctiva, sclera, iris, or optic nerve, leading to redness, pain, or blurry vision, but these are symptoms of associated eye conditions, not lupus directly.
Patients with lupus often also have dry eyes, whether they strictly meet criteria for Sjogren's syndrome or not. Often the sensation is one of having grit in your eyes; sometimes the opposite can occur, where you might be tearing excessively.
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.
Joint pain, swelling and stiffness can be the main symptoms for some people with lupus. In most cases, lupus is unlikely to cause permanent damage or change the shape of joints.
Without treatment, chilblain lupus skin lesions can get infected. People with chilblain lupus have higher risks of bacterial skin infections (cellulitis). In addition, if you haven't developed it already, chilblain lupus can also lead to systemic lupus erythematosus.
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.
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.
Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
SCLE can cause circular red patches with a ring-like border that may be scaly. These rashes often show up on sun-exposed skin, including the legs, and usually don't itch or cause pain.
Pain in the muscles (myalgia) is a common symptom in lupus patients. The upper arms and thighs are the most frequently involved areas. In some cases, the pain is accompanied by muscle weakness, which is known as myositis.
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.
Antihistamines like diphenhydramine are not a treatment for lupus itself, but they can treat hives from lupus. Diphenhydramine works by blocking histamines, chemicals produced by the immune system that can cause allergy symptoms like hives.
Some lupus complications can include:
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.
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.
But because lupus can affect many parts of the body, some people may experience chills as part of their overall condition. Common symptoms of lupus include: Fatigue. Joint pain or muscle pain.
Once your optometrist is aware that you have lupus, they may adjust your exam to include tests that specifically check for inflammation, blood vessel damage, or dryness. These tests can help identify symptoms of lupus in the eye early, before they begin to affect your vision for the long term.
The medicines used most often to manage lupus include:
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.
Lupus attacks your hip in several ways. The condition causes joint inflammation, or arthritis, that can affect your hip. If you have lupus, you have a greater chance of developing osteoarthritis, too, and its attendant hip pain. Less commonly, lupus sufferers experience infections that occur in the hip.
Lupus can also affect your hair and nails
The most common type of lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), can cause dry, coarse hair to develop along the hairline. These dry, coarse hairs break off easily, causing the sparse-looking hair known as lupus hair. Other types of hair loss also develop.
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.
Oral Health Changes Diagnosed By The Dentist
The ulcers or lesions may be acute or chronic in nature, and they may appear to be similar to other types of oral lesions. The initial diagnosis may require a biopsy and working with a rheumatologist to determine whether the lesions are caused by lupus.
Taking samples of blood for laboratory tests, such as: