Many patients go years before being identified as suffering from lupus. When a patient visits the doctor with achy joints, fatigue, and a low grade fever, it’s simply difficult to identify the root cause or causes. Sometimes the unusual malar rash is the tip off, but a good number of patients never show skin signs and those who do may not be in face flare during a visit to the medical doctor.
The average time for a positive diagnosis according to the Lupus Foundation of America is four years and includes the patient having seen three or more doctors before being given a correct diagnosis. Many sufferers especially in the older age ranges mention ten years or more before being correctly diagnosed.
There are Different Types of Lupus
If your doctor mentions lupus, be sure to have him or her specify the variety. There are different types of lupus, and they are very different conditions overall with different treatment approaches and with different typical outcomes.
SLE or the systemic type is or can be a body wide condition and the most serious generally. Typically if someone mentions having lupus, they are talking about SLE.
Discoid lupus impacts on the skin and can be quite disfiguring. Disk like patches cover the facial skin. Generally, discoid lupus is confined to the face with no body system involvement.
Drug-induced lupus occurs because of a reaction to drugs. When the offending drugs are discontinued, the temporary lupus backs off and goes away.
Mixed autoimmune conditions can include lupus as well as other immune problems. This again complicates diagnosis as well as treatment plans. It's quite possible to have lupus in condition with other immune diseases.
It’s important to know which type of lupus the doctor is considering. Frankly, it seems that these different but somewhat related conditions should be given different labels. If you do your own research (which is a good idea), you’re looking at very different concerns depending on the exact type of lupus you’re dealing with. Be sure to ask for clarification.