Special Lupus Awareness Issue May 2017 | Page 52

The most common symptoms of lupus are the same for both females and males Extreme fatigue (tiredness) Headaches Painful or swollen joints Ankle swelling and fluid accumulation Fever more than 100F Anemia (low numbers of red blood cells or hemoglobin, or low total blood volume) Swelling (edema) in feet, legs, hands, and/or around eyes Pain in chest on deep breathing (pleurisy) Skin rash/Malar rash butterfly rash that appears around the cheek and nose Sun- or light-sensitivity (photosensitivity) Hair loss Abnormal blood clotting Fingers turning white and/or blue when cold (Raynaud’s phenomenon) Mouth or nose sores Kidney disorders – either excess protein in the urine (proteinuria) or red blood cells in the urine Neurological Disorder – seizures or psychosis (a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality). Inflammation of the lining around the lungs (pleuritis) or of the lining around the heart (pericarditis) Depression and Anxiety Memory loss Shortness of breath 52