Each person’s experience of being diagnosed, treated and living with lupus will be very different.

Lupus can target any of the body’s tissues, and is often hard to pin down or diagnose. That’s why it is called “the disease with a thousand faces”.

A person with lupus may experience some of the following symptoms:

• Joint pain, sometimes with swelling
• A red rash across the upper cheeks and bridge of the nose
• Extreme fatigue
• An unusual reaction to sunlight
• A red scaly skin rash
• Small ulcers inside the nose or mouth
• Chest pain, worse when lying down or inhaling
• Swelling of feet and legs
• Seizures or severe neurological symptoms
• Hair loss

This is far from a complete list of symptoms. Also, some findings are apparent only in blood tests. Thus the diagnosis of lupus must be made by a doctor.