9 Symptoms of Lupus Women Should Know About
Lupus, like many other autoimmune diseases, affects women more than men. Young women between the age group of 15 to 34 have been found to be suffering from lupus. However, no known cause of Lupus has been found. A mixture of genetic and environmental reasons has been attributed to Lupus.
Lupus can affect any part of one’s body and the symptoms might vary from person to person. Some people show severe signs of Lupus while others might show only mild signs of this infection.
Taking adequate precautions will always lead to signs of lupus getting weakened.
Swelling in joints and pain
One of the lupus symptoms in women is a pain, swelling in the joints, and stiffness in these parts in the morning. Pain and swelling in wrists and fingers indicate that lupus is on the way. However, this symptom is often confused with rheumatoid arthritis.
However, the difference between lupus signs and rheumatoid arthritis can be understood from the fact that while lupus affects joints on one side of the body whereas, in rheumatoid arthritis, joints on both sides are affected.
Moreover swelling in the case of Lupus is not permanent and might wither away with time. However, in rheumatoid arthritis, this swelling leads to disfiguring. Lupus also occurs in young women only and signs in older women do not develop to an advanced stage.
Rashes on the face
When exposed to the sun, lupus symptoms in women would include skin rashes. This is a characteristic feature of lupus. This kind of rash is typically known as butterfly rash and usually extends from bridge reason of the nose, goes through the cheekbone, and then further percolates to the jawbone.
Bloody urine and water retention
Problems related to the kidney are also a manifestation of lupus and need to be looked from this aspect also. If not treated in time, it will cause water retention which makes a person feel as if they have water weight gain. In some cases, it can lead to bloody urine symptoms also.
Pain in the chest
Lupus symptoms in women can also cause inflammation of the heart on the inner and outer lining. This will lead to shortness of breathing, pain in the chest, and blood flow interruption which will eventually lead to increased risk of heart disease.
The inner region of lungs, as well as its outside region, can also be affected by lupus. If there is pain or difficulty in breathing, it can be considered that Lupus symptoms in women are visible and medications should be taken accordingly.
Fatigue
Though fatigue is a key Lupus symptom in women, since fatigue is also noticed in numerous other cases, it is often very difficult to connect this with Lupus in particular. Lupus usually leads to blood problems as anemia, and this causes the energy levels to stoop down. This further leads to exhaustion which causes fatigue.
Loss of hair
Baldness and that too in the frontal region might occur when lupus strikes a person. Sores on the scalp also occur due to this disease condition. If a person suffers from hair loss, a medical practitioner must be consulted for probable signs of lupus.
Mouth sores
Mouth sores might also occur in case of lupus. These sores are often painless so a person is not able to locate these which might not be the case in a typical canker sore. These sores usually occur in the nasal area so a close inspection of the same will reveal the presence of these, even if there is no or minimal pain in the area.
Memory loss and seizures
One of the fears in case of lupus infection is that it might attack the brain region. A person can, therefore, suffer from seizures or can become disoriented. In worst cases, it might be seen that the person will suffer from memory loss.
Mental health issues
Anxiety also plays a key role in lupus-related symptoms as a person, especially women, might be well on a given day while they might experience the elevated sign of lupus on any other day. Fear and anxiety are a common symptom of lupus, and when a person experiences any of these, it might be understood that precautionary measures to deal with lupus have to be taken.
It should be understood though that lupus is not a life-threatening disease and if adequate precautions and medications as suggested by a doctor are taken, the condition of the patient will improve, and they will be able to lead a normal life without fear infecting their minds. These are the common Lupus symptoms that women should be aware of, as this will help in determining about when to consult a doctor.