Lupus Or Rheumatoid Arthritis: Recognizing The Difference
October 6th, 2008The fact that they are both autoimmune disorders in which the body sets upon itself and causes damage, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are often mistaken for the other. So, where do you draw the line?
Experts agree that it’s very difficult to diagnose these diseases because the clinical symptoms and laboratory abnormalities tend to overlap.
Both of affect women much more frequently than men. They are also both multisystem diseases, meaning, they can wreak havoc on many organs. Like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis zeroes in and causes damage to the blood vessels. Both diseases disrupt the normal function of the immune system, resulting in damaged tissues.
Lupus or systemic lupus erythematosus, is a complex disease whose cause is still undetermined. It can affect many parts of the body including joints, skin, and internal organs. Usually, the person develops a rash in the shape of a butterfly on the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose. Other symptoms include fatigue, hair loss, inflammation of the kidney, mouth sores, sensitivity to light, fever, and weight loss.
Like lupus, the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. It usually affects the wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles. The disease usually begins to manifest itself with fatigue and weakness, morning stiffness that lasts for more than an hour, widespread muscle aches, and loss of appetite.
In lupus, it is common for the patient to experience joint pain, but this pain is not associated with actual damage to the join itself. In some cases, there is also swelling, but majority of lupus sufferers experience pain in the joints without swelling. In rheumatoid arthritis, however, there is always swelling of the lining of the joints. This swollen lining is called the synovium. Pain is commonly felt by patients, but it is less prominent compared to that of lupus.
Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis may be experienced by one person at the same time. When someone with lupus develops symptoms of rheumatoid-like arthritis, including deformities of the joint, he or she should be given medicines for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Standard RA treatments like methotrexate,sulfalazine, and, in some cases, more potent to control joint inflammation.
Find out more about Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis and other Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms at anaudlife.com