10 Lupus Symptoms In Women

By dr. mera

Article Sources

Article Sources

• 1. C. M. Tench, I. McCurdie, P. D. White, D. P. D'Cruz, The prevalence and associations of fatigue in systemic lupus erythematosus, Rheumatology, Volume 39, Issue 11, November 2000, Pages 1249–1254, https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/39.11.1249
• 2. How Lupus Affects the Body : Arthritis. (2020, February 11). Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.hopkinslupus.org/lupus-info/lupus-affects-body/lupus-arthritis/
• 3. Lupus-Specific Skin Disease and Skin Problems. (2020, February 11). Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.hopkinslupus.org/lupus-info/lupus-affects-body/skin-lupus/
• 4. Complications of Lupus. (n.d.). Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hw118452

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5. Chest Pain

In SLE, chest pain can appear in many forms and it can have a variety of causes. For instance, approximately one in three people with this condition develop pleurisy or the inflammation of the two layers of tissue that separate the chest wall from the lungs (pleura)⁴Complications of Lupus. (n.d.). Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hw118452. As a consequence, patients with this condition experience cough and sharp chest pain (pleuritic pain) that worsens with deep breaths.

If pleurisy is not the cause of chest pain, it can be caused by inflammation of structures of the chest wall. For instance, the involvement of the joints that connect the breastbone to the ribs can commonly cause chest pain in people with lupus. Similarly, the inflammation of muscles, cartilages, and ligaments in the chest can also cause pain. On the other hand, some lupus-related heart problems like pericarditis can also cause chest pain. Pericarditis refers to the inflammation of the sac that surrounds the heart (pericardium). It can cause sudden and severe left-sided chest pain that usually worsens when lying down or breathing deeply.