Butterfly rash, joint ache and swelling, chest pain, kidney related issues, fatigue, mouth sores, hair loss, unexplained fever, thyroid issues, amnesia and seizures and mental health issues are some of the lupus symptoms women.

Officially known as SLE or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, lupus is an autoimmune disorder that plagues the human race. Occuring both in men and women, lupus is a disease that can be really difficult to diagnose. It may be characterized by a range of symptoms, which may be common to many other diseases. Additionally, the symptoms may vary from person to person as well. This is what makes it trickier for the doctor to diagnose a person with signs of lupus. Lupus symptoms can be identified only in a constellation or network with allied signs that can also indicate the existence of some other illness in the body of a human being.

The exact cause behind lupus affecting men and women cannot be specifically identified and experts have mainly chalked it up to mixture of the environment surrounding a person and the genes in his internal system. It is similar to multiple sclerosis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in its recurring symptoms and chronic occurrence in an individual. What can be said for sure, on the basis of data supplied by S.L.E. Lupus Foundation, lupus symptoms are more common in women than in men, and ninety percent of identified cases of lupus document symptoms of lupus in women who are between 15 and 34 years of age.

Read More: 7 Beneficial Habits of Teens with Lupus for a Healthy Life

What is lupus and how does it affect women?

Lupus is an autoimmune disorder occurring in human beings, mostly in women, that becomes a condition of a lifetime. The disease can affect any part of the body, with a whole range of symptoms cropping up.

Lupus affects the immune system of the human body adversely affecting our immunity. The immune system is the operating system of our body that protects us against pathogens and foreign elements that can be harmful to our system like harmful virus, bacteria and other such organisms. Lupus symptoms in women being indicative of an autoimmune disorder renders the body incapable of accurately identifying the pathogen. It encourages the production of antibodies against a perceived threat, which is actually healthy tissue. This can adversely affect the smooth functioning of our anatomical systems.

The disease is such that it incapacitates the power for immunity in a woman’s body as it is most common in women of childbearing age. Studies have found that symptoms of lupus in women are more likely to develop in women of colour, even though lupus may occur to any individual, irrespective of race, gender or ethnicity.

11 Symptoms of Lupus all Women Should Know

Although the lupus symptoms in women may have a wide range and may differ from one patient to another, the dominant features of the disease may be listed as follows:

Butterfly rash

One of the most common lupus symptoms in women is the occurrence of a facial rash that occurs on the face. It is characteristic of lupus when the skin individual of the individual is exposed to the sun. The rash usually covers the jawline, cheekbone and nasal area.

Read More: Lupus and Pregnancy: Is it Safe for the Baby and the Mother?

Joint ache and swelling

Joint stiffness and swelling in the wrists, fingers and knuckles, especially during the morning hours are common symptoms of lupus in women. These symptoms may be confused with rheumatoid arthritis or calcium deficiency, but the pain is distinctive as it comes and goes instead of getting worse with time. Also, the lupus symptom may affect only one side in a pair of joints instead of both.

Chest pain

This is also a common symptom in women with lupus disorder. Sharp chest pain on the intake of breath and a shortness of breath is common in lupus patients, as the disease affects the heart. The linings of the heart may be inflamed due to lupus that also increases the possibility of heart disease in a relatively young individual.

Kidney related issues

Blood in the urine and swelling of the lower abdominal region due to water retention in the kidneys may also be listed as lupus symptoms in women.

Read More: 15 Home Remedies for Children with Lupus

Fatigue

Exhaustion and lethargy are important characteristics of lupus and are of the most common symptoms of lupus in women. But fatigue can imply a host of other diseases that are more likely to occur than lupus, and cannot be taken to be a symbolic of SLE only.

Mouth sores

While abscess are a common symptom of lupus in women, occurring in the buccal and nasal regions of the body, they are usually painless. Often the individual may not even realise that they had an aberration in their nose or mouth which may have been indicative of lupus disorder.

Hair loss

While hair loss may implicate a number of diseases in your body, it may also represent the presence of the autoimmune disorder called lupus. Hair loss in case of lupus usually occurs in the frontal region of the head, and may cause baldness.

Read More: 11 Home Remedies for a Sore Throat During Pregnancy

Amnesia and seizures

Lupus can also affect the brain, and the nervous and endocrinal system of the body as a symptom of lupus in women. This can often cause seizures in someone with lupus, or even cause loss in memory. Minor psychotic episodes may also occur in a woman with lupus.

Mental health issues

Other than a persistent lethargy, symptoms of lupus in women may also trigger anxiety due to the unexplained nature of the disease that effects the individual. Episodes of psychosis and nervous breakdown may also occur.

Unexplained fever

If you are running a temperature and the cause is yet to be identified, it might be read as a symptom of lupus in women.

Thyroid issues

Lupus affecting the endocrinal system sometimes is partial towards the thyroid gland, affecting the hormonal system and triggering issues related to secretion from the thyroid gland.

Read More: Is Under Active Thyroid Dangerous During Pregnancy?

Conclusion

If you think you have more than a few of these symptoms mentioned above, do not hesitate to seek professional help. The autoimmune disease called lupus, if not doctored, may become life-threatening in any individual.

References

https://www.self.com/story/9-symptoms-of-lupus

https://paindoctor.com/lupus-symptoms/