Are you feeling tired, depressed, dizzy, and experiencing skin changes? Have you begun Googling this noticeable shift while self-diagnosing your conditions? You’re not at this alone – many people do. You’re self-diagnosing without obtaining a medical degree, like, “I might have this or that.” It makes you more anxious about what your possible symptoms could be. You think it’s one thing, but it’s something different.
Let’s talk about it – what could you have? The list could be long, but let’s look at lupus. What is lupus, and why does it commonly go undiagnosed? According to the Mayo Clinic, “Lupus is a disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your tissues and organs (autoimmune disease). Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems — joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms often mimic those of other ailments.”
Here are several conditions commonly confused with Lupus that we all need to pay attention to!
RELATED: 11 Ways Lupus Can Affect Your Body
7 Conditions Commonly Confused with Lupus
Hypothyroidism
Have issues with thyroids? That smoothie targeting your thyroid may help, but that alone isn’t enough.
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Lupus and hypothyroidism commonly affect weakened thyroid production—similar symptoms like muscle and joint pain, hair loss, fatigue, and painful cramps. The doctor has to measure the thyroid-stimulating blood vessels – professional diagnoses are necessary to identify the real issue.
Fibromyalgia
Extreme fatigue and muscle pain are among the symptoms caused by fibromyalgia; however, the list doesn’t stop there. People with fibromyalgia may also suffer from painful cramps, sleeplessness, difficulty concentrating, and stiff joints.
The issue is these symptoms are also synonymous with lupus. Not getting diagnosed or treating the symptoms in an isolated fashion can worsen the condition.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Before a doctor can diagnose someone with rheumatoid arthritis, they must submit to X-rays, a physical exam, and blood work. Given rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are autoimmune diseases, it’s imperative to know the difference and treat it accordingly. Common linked symptoms include swelling, anemia, stiffness of joints, and pericarditis.
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Viral and Bacterial Infections
We live in an age where viral and bacterial infections have become more popular. We’ve always had a cold, flu, HIV, and Lyme disease, but we now have COVID-19 and RSV.
With COVID-19, the world was rocked after many people died. Some have long-haul effects preventing them from returning to life as they knew it. Others recovered but not without fear of the unknown after seeing how the virus causes such a burden on many.
What some may think is a common viral or bacterial infection maybe – you guessed it, lupus. Similar symptoms include
