How to Tell the Difference Between Rheumatoid Arthritis & Lupus

Learn the symptoms of each disorder. Rheumatoid arthritis will cause you to experience joint pain, swelling and tender joints. Other symptoms may include fever, redness, fatigue and weight loss. Lupus has many of the same symptoms, such as joint pain and fever. In addition, people with lupus often experience facial rashes that form in a "butterfly" shape, mouths sores, a tendency to bruise, chest pain and shortness of breath.

Catalog your symptoms. In a journal, write down all the symptoms you've experienced in the past few weeks. Also, take note of how often you've had these symptoms. Are they constant or do they come and go?

Note which symptoms are normal for lupus and which symptoms are normal for rheumatoid arthritis. Almost all rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may occur in lupus as well. However, many lupus symptoms are atypical of rheumatoid arthritis. For instance, if you have joint pain and also experience shortness of breath and mouth sores, there's a better chance that you have lupus. Of equal importance is the severity and location of your symptoms. Rheumatoid arthritis often begins in your body's small joints (e.g. the wrist and hands) and then spreads to the larger joints such as the knees. Both conditions may have "flare-up" periods but flare-ups are more generally associated with lupus, whereas many people with rheumatoid arthritis have constant joint pain.

Visit a doctor for more precise evaluation. While self-diagnosis will give you some insight into which condition (if either) you suffer from, you must visit a professional for a true diagnosis. It's possible that your joint pains are a result of rheumatoid arthritis but your lupus-like symptoms are due to another condition entirely. Likewise, it's always possible to have both lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors will test your blood count and give you a full examination. In cases in which you have a low blood count, a facial rash and joint pain, your doctor will often diagnose lupus over rheumatoid arthritis. Other laboratory tests such as kidney analysis and x-rays may also give insight into the nature of your disorder. In addition, people with rheumatoid arthritis will often have certain patterns in their blood count, such as a high level of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies.

Discuss your problems and symptoms with other people who suffer from both lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. A comparison between your symptoms and theirs can help confirm or dispute any positive diagnosis.