Early Lupus Signs

Lupus is an autoimmune disease involving severe and chronic inflammation of various parts of the body. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve health and reduce tissue damage. However, diagnosing lupus is difficult because of the wide range of symptoms.

Antibodies

• A study published in a 2007 issue of the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism found that antibodies associated with lupus can be found in blood tests before diagnosis is made. The researchers ran tests on blood drawn when people entered the U.S. military.

Arthritis

• In this study, researchers also determined that the most frequently-reported early symptom of lupus was arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is often diagnosed instead of lupus before other symptoms appear.

Rash

• Another early sign of lupus is the appearance of a discoid rash. This rash is shaped like a disk and appears on skin which is exposed to sunlight. The rash typically is red, raised and scaly but does not itch or cause pain. It can leave scars or skin discoloration.

Central Nervous System Involvement

• Central nervous system symptoms, such as seizures, also were experienced before lupus diagnosis, but they commonly did not happen after diagnosis.

Kidney Disease

• Another early sign of lupus found in the study was kidney disease. This was more common for men than for women.