Can you have lupus and not know it?

But lupus can be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis or another condition. And symptoms that seem like lupus can sometimes be due to a virus. read more

You can spend years listening to doctors tell you,"It's all in your head," or,"I don't know what's wrong with you." If you do in fact have lupus, chances are you are experiencing some symptoms: joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, headaches, swollen abdomen (caused by inflammation in the mucosa of your organs), and frequent headaches. read more

About 50 percent of people with lupus have this rash. It can occur suddenly or appear after exposure to sunlight. Sometimes the rash appears just before a flare-up. Lupus can also cause non-itchy lesions in other areas of the body. Rarely, lupus can cause hives. Many people with lupus are sensitive to the sun, or even to artificial lighting. read more

The antinuclear antibody (ANA) test is the go-to screening test for lupus. If the result is negative, says Dr. Gilkeson, you can"almost guarantee" that a patient doesn’t have lupus. On the other hand, a positive result is much less clear; 90% to 95% of people who have a positive ANA test don’t have lupus. read more