Systemic lupus erythematosus symptoms

Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
Updated on January 30, 2025
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Systemic lupus erythematosus is a disease that affects the entire body system, so there are generally systemic symptoms. The most common symptoms are bone and joint pain, and muscle pain. Some patients may show symptoms related to the skin and mucous membranes, mainly presenting as butterfly-shaped erythema, discoid erythema, and oral mucosal ulcers. In severe cases, patients may experience problems with the visceral system, mainly affecting the kidneys, primarily presenting as significant proteinuria in routine urine tests. Additionally, severe cases may even present with neurological and psychiatric issues, mainly exhibiting restlessness, hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, and various forms of cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, and other conditions.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Is systemic lupus erythematosus serious?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can vary in severity. The main criterion for determining whether it is mild or severe is to check whether SLE has involved important visceral organs, such as the lungs, the heart, and most commonly, the kidneys, as well as the most severe form, neuropsychiatric lupus. If a patient shows involvement of the aforementioned visceral systems, then lupus is considered to be relatively severe, and may sometimes even threaten the patient’s life. However, if lupus does not involve the visceral systems, it is considered to be mild.

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Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
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Is systemic lupus erythematosus serious?

Firstly, whether systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is severe cannot be generalized. It is an autoimmune disease that cannot be completely cured and can cause damage to multiple systems and organs, leading to serious complications. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct a clinical analysis and assess the severity of the condition as mild, moderate, or severe after diagnosis. Furthermore, if severe anemia or a decrease in platelets occurs, the condition is relatively severe, and the presence of oliguria or anuria or central nervous system damage, this is known as lupus crisis. These conditions can be life-threatening, even leading to death. In such cases, the condition is relatively critical, and it is essential to actively treat and control the condition. Once the condition stabilizes, the medication dosage should be gradually reduced to maintain stability.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Systemic lupus erythematosus symptoms

The symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus mainly include fever, oral ulcers, facial erythema, including discoid and malar rash, photosensitivity, joint pain, polyserositis, including pleural effusion and pericardial effusion, as well as kidney involvement. The main manifestations are positive urinary protein, hematuria, and casts in the urine. Severe cases may have neurological involvement, presenting as epilepsy, mental disorders, or altered consciousness. Blood tests in these patients can further reveal positive ANA, anti-double-stranded DNA, and anti-Sm antibodies, as well as low complement levels. These are the related symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
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Can systemic lupus erythematosus be cured?

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multi-system damage and is an autoimmune disease that cannot be cured. It can only be managed with medications to control the condition, alleviate symptoms, delay complications, and thereby improve quality of life. This is the overall principle and goal in treating systemic lupus erythematosus. Once diagnosed with lupus, it is essential to classify the type and determine whether it is in an active phase to adopt appropriate treatment measures. The main treatments are corticosteroids and immunomodulators, with the dosage of corticosteroids varying according to the severity of the condition. (Specific medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
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Systemic lupus erythematosus is not contagious.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage multiple systems and affect multiple organs. Its occurrence is related to genetics, environmental pollution, hormonal levels, and infections. It is classified as an autoimmune disease and is not infectious or contagious. Once diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, it is important to thoroughly complete related examinations and assess the activity level of the disease, as treatment plans vary accordingly. Therefore, for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, there is no need to worry about it being contagious. However, there is a hereditary tendency, meaning if the parents have it, the likelihood of their children developing the disease is significantly higher than others.