Difference Between Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis

RA is mainly limited to the joints, while lupus affects more than just the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus are two varieties of autoimmune diseases. This means they are caused when the body's immune system attacks its own tissue by mistaking it for a foreign body.

Which is worse lupus or rheumatoid arthritis?
How can you tell the difference between lupus and rheumatoid arthritis?
Is there a connection between rheumatoid arthritis and lupus?
What does lupus arthritis feel like?
What disease can mimic rheumatoid arthritis?
Does rheumatoid arthritis affect your brain?
What are the 4 stages of rheumatoid arthritis?
Is lupus considered a disability?
Can you be misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis?
Is rheumatoid factor positive in lupus?
What are the markers for rheumatoid arthritis?
Can stress cause rheumatoid arthritis?

Which is worse lupus or rheumatoid arthritis?

There are many differences between lupus and RA. For instance, lupus might affect your joints, but it's more likely to affect your internal organs and your skin than RA. Lupus can also cause life-threatening complications. These may include kidney failure, clotting problems, or seizures, which are not symptoms of RA.

How can you tell the difference between lupus and rheumatoid arthritis?

Lupus Symptoms

When lupus affects the joints, the symptoms can mimic those for RA: pain, stiffness, and swelling. Typically, they're not as bad with lupus. You also may have other symptoms that are common with RA, such as a mild fever, weight loss, and dry eyes. Lupus can trigger some distinct symptoms of its own.

Is there a connection between rheumatoid arthritis and lupus?

The arthritis of lupus tends to be less destructive than the arthritis of rheumatoid arthritis. However, there is a genetic link between rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and a person may experience features of both these two distinct diseases. When a person has two independent diseases, it's called comorbidity.

What does lupus arthritis feel like?

Lupus arthritis causes pain, stiffness, swelling, tenderness and warmth in your joints. The joints most often affected are the ones farthest from the middle of the body, such as fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles and toes.

What disease can mimic rheumatoid arthritis?

Whipple's disease is rare and can mimic rheumatoid arthritis. Especially patients with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis with a prolonged disease course and insufficient treatment response should be reevaluated for Whipple's disease.

Does rheumatoid arthritis affect your brain?

RA causes chronic inflammation. Along with its effects on the joints, RA may cause brain fog, which can involve difficulty concentrating, poor memory, or confused thoughts.

What are the 4 stages of rheumatoid arthritis?

The 4 Stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis Progression

Stage 1: Early RA. ...
Stage 2: Antibodies Develop and Swelling Worsens. ...
Stage 3: Symptoms Are Visible. ...
Stage 4: Joints Become Fused. ...
How to Know if Your RA Is Progressing. ...
What Makes RA Get Worse? ...
How Your RA Treatment Plan Prevents Disease Progression.

Is lupus considered a disability?

For Social Security's purposes, lupus qualifies as a disability when it meets these conditions: It involves two or more organs or body systems. It includes at least two major signs or symptoms, such as severe fatigue, fever, malaise, and involuntary weight loss.

Can you be misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis?

Misdiagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Common. Many rheumatic diseases have overlapping symptoms, and that can complicate the effort to obtain an accurate diagnosis for RA. Some diseases are complex. They may have overlapping characteristics with other conditions, making diagnosis more difficult.

Is rheumatoid factor positive in lupus?

Rheumatoid factor (RF) is found commonly in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and has been associated with a more benign disease course.

What are the markers for rheumatoid arthritis?

People with rheumatoid arthritis often have an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, or sed rate) or C-reactive protein (CRP), which may indicate the presence of an inflammatory process in the body. Other common blood tests look for rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies.

Can stress cause rheumatoid arthritis?

Research says that rheumatoid arthritis can be caused by stress. Stress triggers rheumatoid arthritis by setting off the immune system's inflammatory response in which cytokines are released.