If you have any symptoms of lupus (see list below), testing may be beneficial. However, most doctors don’t recommend screening tests for lupus if you’re asymptomatic. For example, serum ANA is a good marker for lupus and is positive in over 95% of patients with lupus. However, only about 25% of the general population are also positive for this marker. Therefore, a positive test is not indicative that you have lupus.
Signs and Symptoms of Lupus:
- Red rashes, most commonly around the nose and cheeks
- Unusual loss of hair
- Painful or swollen joints and muscle pain
- Unexplained fever
- Chest pain on deep breathing
- Hypersensitivity to the sun
- Pale or purple fingers or toes from cold or stress (Raynaud’s phenomenon)
- Swelling in lower extremities or around eyes
- Mouth ulcers
- Extreme fatigue