Lupus And Arthritis: How They Go Hand In Hand

If you suffer from lupus, chances are good that you suffer from arthritis as part of the condition. This condition is one in which individuals often face pain in their body and, like arthritis, something with the body's immune system does not function the way that it should and the end result is that the body is attacked by its own white blood cells. In lupus, the body is attacked in many places including the tissues of various parts of your body. That is like arthritis, which is generally characterized by the immune system attacking the tissue in the joints of the body.

Do You Have Lupus? Symptoms To Be Aware Of
Lupus can affect anyone but it is more prone to be found in African, Native American or Asian heritage. Women are more likely to get it 9 out of 10 times and it especially happens to those that are from age 14 through to 45. The symptoms of lupus can be very different from one person to the next, but they will likely include some of these.

Joints that ache and are painful, swollen joints, fevers that rise to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more without any other explanation, pain in the chest, a butterfly like rash on the cheeks and nose, loss of hair, or prolonged fatigue.

When you have lupus, you have an increased chance of having arthritis of one type or another. Most commonly, this will mean pain in the joints that leads to swelling. Some individuals characterize their pain as being that of stiffness as they feel more pain when they wake up in the morning compared to when they are using the joint. In some patients that have arthritis with lupus, the arthritis pain can come and go. It may last a few days, weeks or longer and then it will not be noticeable until the next bout. One thing that is good to note is that the type of arthritis that you may be prone to getting with lupus is actually not as crippling as other forms of arthritis in general.

There are other complications that come from lupus though that can be worrisome. One of the tell tale signs of lupus includes skin conditions. Usually a rash will form on the skin across the nose and checks. In addition, sores may develop in the mouth as well as hair loss. There are different types of lupus which also determine the type and severity of the skin complications that can be found in lupus patients.

Other problems that lupus can cause include kidney problems, which can lead to life threatening conditions. Blood problems can also play a role in the condition that you face. If the amount of red blood cells in your body drops (or white blood cells) there is a problem that can lead to the inability of the blood to clot.

Working with your doctor, you can handle both lupus and arthritis and the complications that they bring to the table.