Each week, About Lupus takes a moment to step back and welcome the women and men who have been newly diagnosed with lupus, or know someone who has been recently diagnosed.

This week, we’re asking the question, what are the signs and symptoms of lupus? And what are some conditions related to the disease?

Lupus carries with it a number of smaller signs and symptoms that are often overlooked or misinterpreted as originating from a different disease, leading to misdiagnosis. But when a more common symptom is accompanied by a more suggestive sign or complication, lupus becomes a more obvious diagnosis to investigate.

These symptoms are often what patients notice themselves; there are other symptoms a doctor may discover upon closer examination and blood tests. The most common symptoms include:

• Achy joints with swelling
• Extreme fatigue
• Unexplained rashes
• Unexplained rashes that turn to sores, then scar
• Butterfly (malar) rash across nose and cheeks
• Anemia
• Pleurisy (pain in the chest when deep breathing)
• Ulcers inside the mouth and nose
• Photosensitivity
• Cardiopulmonary disorders (heart/lung)

More:

• Signs and Symptoms, an Introduction
• Related Conditions, an Introduction