Overview
Lupus is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. This is called an autoimmune condition. 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. The rash gets worse when in the sun. Many but not all people with lupus get this rash.
Some people are born more likely to get lupus. Infections, certain medicines or even sunlight can trigger the condition. There's no cure for lupus, but treatments can help manage symptoms.
Symptoms
How lupus shows up isn't the same for everyone who has it. Symptoms may start suddenly or slowly. They may be mild or serious, brief or lasting.
People with lupus may have flares. During flares, symptoms get worse for a while, then get better or go away for a time.
The symptoms of lupus depend on which body systems the condition affects. The most common symptoms include:
- Tiredness.
- Fever.
- Joint pain, stiffness and swelling.
- Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes on other parts of the body that get worse when in the sun.
- Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when cold or during times of stress. This may be harder to see on Black or brown skin.
- Shortness of breath.
- Chest pain.
- Headaches, confusion and memory loss.
Lupus facial rash
A typical sign of lupus is a butterfly-shaped rash over the cheeks and nose. It often happens after being in sunlight. The rash may look red on white skin and be harder to see on Black or brown skin.
When to see a doctor
See your healthcare professional if you get a rash or other symptoms that worry you.
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Causes
Experts don't know the cause of lupus. It's likely that genes and factors in the environment together cause lupus.
Certain factors trigger lupus in people who have the genetic changes that make them more likely to get the condition. Factors include:
- Sunlight. Being in the sun may trigger lupus skin rash or other lupus symptoms.
- Infections. Having an infection can start lupus or cause some people to have a flare.
- Medicines. Certain types of blood pressure medicines, anti-seizure medicines and antibiotics can trigger lupus. People who have this type of lupus often get better when they stop taking the medicine. Rarely, some people have symptoms even after stopping the medicine and need lupus treatment.
Risk factors
Factors that may raise your risk of lupus include:
- Sex. Lupus is more common in people assigned female at birth.
- Age. Lupus affects people of all ages. But it's most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45.
- Race. Lupus is more common in people who are Black, Hispanic or Asian American.
Complications
The swelling and irritation, called inflammation, that lupus causes can affect all or some of the following:
- Kidneys. Lupus can damage kidneys. Kidney failure is one of the leading causes of death among people with lupus.
- Brain and central nervous system. If lupus affects your brain, you may have headaches, dizziness, behavior changes, vision issues, and even strokes or seizures. Many people with lupus have trouble with memory and thinking.
- Blood and blood vessels. Lupus may lead to blood issues. These may include a lower number of healthy red blood cells, called anemia, and a higher risk of bleeding or blood clotting.
- Lungs. Having lupus raises your risk of getting swelling and irritation, called inflammation, of the chest cavity lining. This can make breathing painful. Bleeding into the lungs and pneumonia also can happen.
- Heart. Lupus can cause swelling and irritation of your heart muscle, your arteries or heart membrane. Lupus also can raise the risk of heart attacks and other heart issues.
Other types of complications
Having lupus also increases your risk of:
- Infection. People with lupus are more likely to get infections. Both the condition and its treatments can weaken the immune system and lead to infections.
- Cancer. Having lupus seems to raise the risk of cancer. But the risk is small.
- Bone tissue death. This happens when a bone gets less blood. This can cause tiny breaks in the bone, which can cause the bone to collapse.
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Pregnancy complications. Pregnant people with lupus have a higher risk of losing the pregnancy, called miscarriage. Lupus raises the risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy and of giving birth too early. To lower the risk of these complications, healthcare professionals often suggest waiting to get pregnant until the lupus is well managed.
Another choice is using medical techniques to protect being able to have children. Done before treatment, this is called fertility preservation.
