Do You Have a Lupus Symptom?
by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAc

Brian is the founder of the Pulse of Oriental Medicine, medical professor at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, and author of Powerful Body, Peaceful Mind: How to Heal Yourself with Foods, Herbs, and Acupressure.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a whole body disease in which your body attacks itself via the immune system (autoimmune). The three words for SLE literally mean whole-body (disease) of wolf (bite-like) red skin lesions. The facial rash was compared to a wolf bite, even though it is now more commonly described as malar, or butterfly-like.

Examples of the Lupus Symptom of Facial Rash

If you're not sure what the symptoms of lupus are, or if you think you have a lupus symptom, read the follow list:

• First, lupus is over-diagnosed. Of about 2 million cases in the U.S., only an estimated 25% actually have lupus.
• 9 times as many women get lupus symptoms compared to men.
• The cause of lupus is unknown, or due to medications like Procainamide, Isoniazid, Hydralazine, Minocycline, Phenytoin, Ethosuximide, and D-Penicillamine.

The main lupus symptoms are fatigue, fever, malaise, and weight loss.

There are many signs of lupus (signs are symptoms that the doctor sees- symptoms are considered subjective, or reported by you, whereas signs are things they can see or measure or test)...

These more objective lupus symptoms (signs) can be grouped by systems, and they include:

• Dermatologic lupus symptoms
  • Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
  • Malar "butterfly" rash
  • Vasculitis
  • Oral Ulcers
  • Sicca Syndrome
• Rheumatologic lupus symptoms
  • Arthritis
  • Myositis
• Abdominal lupus symptoms
  • Lymphadenopathy
  • Splenomegaly
  • Nephritis
  • Mesenteric Vasculitis
• Neuropsychiatric
  • Organic brain syndrome
  • Seizures
  • Psychosis
• Cardiopulmonary
  • Pleuritis
  • Pericarditis
  • Myocarditis
  • Pneumonitis
  • Arterial thrombosis
  • Venous thrombosis (DVT)
• Ocular changes (20% of SLE cases)
  • Eye disorders
    • Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca
    • Uveitis
    • Episcleritis and Scleritis
    • Keratitis
    • Blepharitis-like Discoid Lupus eyebrow involvement
  • Neurologic conditions
    • Optic Neuritis
    • Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
    • Amaurosis Fugax
  • Retinal disorders
    • Cotton wool spots
    • Retinal hemorrhages
    • Proliferative retinopathy