Butterfly rash, kidney troubles can help differentiate between lupus & rheumatoid arthritis. Find out how

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is tough to diagnose. Its symptoms are vague and overlap with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), leaving patients as well as medical experts confused. Moreover, there is not one definitive medical diagnostic test that can give you a final answer on whether you suffer from this ailment or not. It takes a host of tests to do a positive diagnosis of SLE.
For the uninitiated, SLE is the most common form of lupus – an autoimmune disease — in which the immune system attacks its own tissues, causing damage to organs, and manifesting as inflammation.

Early Symptoms Can Lead To Confusion
Both RA and SLE are autoimmune diseases, and while RA predominantly affects joints, lupus presents itself with a string of other symptoms accompanying joint pain.

Lupus in fact is called a great imitator because it imitates symptoms of not just RA but also of many other ailments. But, here are some symptoms which are seen to be more pronounced in the case of lupus.

Butterfly Rash
Individuals with lupus often show sensitivity to sunlight, and have a red butterfly shaped rash on cheeks and the bridge of their noses. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis the rash are red plaques or bumps that closely resemble eczema.

Chest Pain
As mentioned before, lupus can affect organs like lungs, heart and kidneys. If it attacks the lungs, it causes an inflammation on the linings of the organ, which may result in chest pain. In rheumatic arthritis too, chest pains occur, but the chances of it are substantially lower.

Kidney Issues
If you experience kidney related problems (along with other symptoms) then chances are it is due to SLE and not rheumatoid arthritis. RA doesn’t directly affect kidney function, although the medication taken to manage the ailment may lead to kidney issues.

Apart from these three telling signs that can help you differentiate between RA and SLE, other symptoms like fatigue, fever, shortness of breath overlap, making it difficult to diagnose.

If you have some or all of these symptoms you must consult a doctor. A complete blood test and urine test along with a few other advanced antibody tests will reveal if you have SLE.