Rheumatoid Arthritis vs. Lupus: Similarities and Variations

Symptom
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Lupus

Joint ache, stiffness, and swelling
Sure
Sure

Joint injury and deformity
Sure
No

Fatigue
Sure
Sure

Mind fog
Sure
Sure

Painful or dry eyes
Generally
Sure

Rashes
Hardly ever
Sure, together with a butterfly-shaped facial rash

Mouth sores
No
Sure

Lung signs
Chest ache and shortness of breath (generally)
Chest ache and shortness of breath

Kidney signs
No
Kidney irritation, inflicting elevated blood stress, bloody urine, and swelling

Mind-related signs
No
Headache, seizures

Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus have variations within the probability of non-joint signs, symptom severity, analysis, and remedy choices. 

Lupus Impacts Different Organs

Rheumatoid arthritis primarily assaults your joints and causes common signs like fatigue. In solely about 8-40% of circumstances, it could have an effect on different components of your physique, corresponding to your eyes or lungs.

Lupus is a illness that may have an effect on each organ system in your physique—your pores and skin, muscle mass, bones, blood, nervous system, gastrointestinal system, and extra. For instance, about 50% of individuals with lupus develop kidney illness, referred to as lupus nephritis, which may generally result in kidney failure. 

Rheumatoid Arthritis Tends To Trigger Worse Joint Signs

Joint ache from rheumatoid arthritis tends to be extra enduring and intense in comparison with joint ache from lupus. You usually tend to expertise long-term, irreversible joint injury with rheumatoid arthritis.

Diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis Might Be Less complicated

In rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, the physique might make irregular antibodies towards a part of your personal physique. Blood exams for these antibodies will help with analysis.

The vast majority of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis are optimistic for an antibody referred to as rheumatoid issue (RF) or one other sort referred to as ACPA. Testing for antibodies, together with different exams, will help docs establish the illness.

Different blood exams, like these for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), are usually extra useful in lupus, though they might additionally take a look at optimistic in different autoimmune situations. Lupus could also be more difficult to diagnose.

Therapy and Depth Might Differ

Some therapies for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus overlap, like using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAIDs) like Advil for ache. Each additionally sometimes require long-term therapies with medicines to tamp down the immune system to enhance signs.

Nonetheless, individuals with lupus usually tend to want extra intense sorts of medicines that suppress the immune system resulting from extra critical illness flares, like these affecting the mind or kidneys.

Though completely different in necessary methods, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus share many similarities.

Each Are Autoimmune Connective Tissue Ailments

Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are each in a bunch of autoimmune illnesses that have an effect on connective tissue, or tissue that helps your different organs. Different situations on this group embody Sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma, and polymyositis. These situations might share some overlapping causes, therapies, and potential problems.

They Have a tendency To Have an effect on Related Teams of Individuals

Each rheumatoid arthritis and lupus have an effect on comparable individuals. Danger elements for both situation embody:

Feminine sexSmokingHaving further physique weight

Each Can Have an effect on Your Bodily, Emotional, and Psychological Effectively-Being

Each rheumatoid arthritis and lupus can have an effect on your skill to carry out on a regular basis actions, which may decrease your high quality of life. Melancholy and anxiousness are extra frequent in individuals who have these situations than in those that do not. It is necessary that remedy addresses your entire individual and your total well being.

It is uncommon however attainable to have rheumatoid arthritis and lupus on the identical time.

It is also attainable to have signs and take a look at outcomes that make it tough to differentiate between them. For instance, you might need extra extreme joint signs which are extra frequent in rheumatoid arthritis, but additionally mouth sores and a butterfly pores and skin rash. You might need optimistic RF antibodies but additionally antibodies extra generally present in lupus.

When that occurs, it’s generally referred to as “rhupus.”

You may consider your self as having each rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and your medical chart might point out that. You or your healthcare suppliers may consider it as having one illness (rhupus) that’s in between the 2.

When you’ve got signs of rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, make an appointment to see a major care supplier. A major care supplier can do an preliminary evaluation and doubtlessly prescribe useful remedy.

They could additionally refer you to a rheumatologist, a physician who makes a speciality of diagnosing and treating situations corresponding to rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are autoimmune illnesses that may trigger comparable signs of joint ache and fatigue. Nonetheless, individuals with lupus are more likely to have signs and problems in different components of their physique, like their kidneys. A rheumatologist will help diagnose and deal with both situation.