(From
www.askjeeves.com)
What are the symptoms of lupus?
Symptoms of lupus often mimic other less serious illnesses.
Symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening.
Lupus can go into periods where symptoms are not present, called remission.
Although lupus can affect any part of the body, most people experience symptoms in only a few organs.
The following lists the most common symptoms of lupus and the percentage of lupus patients who experience them.
Symptom Percentage of Cases
Achy joints (arthralgia)
95%
Frequent fevers of more than 100 degrees F.
90%
Arthritis (swollen joints)
90%
Prolonged or extreme fatigue
81%
Skin rashes
74%
Anemia
71%
Kidney involvement
50%
Pain in the chest on deep breathing (pleurisy)
45%
Butterfly-shaped rash across the cheek and nose
42%
Sun or light sensitivity (photosensitivity)
30%
Hair loss
27%
Abnormal blood clotting problems
20%
Raynaud's phenomenon (fingers turning white and/or blue in the cold)
17%
Seizures
15%
Mouth or nose ulcers
12%