How do you diagnose lupus in children?
Children with lupus may experience symptoms like:
- A red rash on the cheeks and bridge of the nose.
- A disc-shaped rash (discoid lupus) with raised patches.
- A skin rash due to sun exposure.
- Arthritis in two or more joints, often fingers and toes.
- A build-up of fluid surrounding the heart or lungs.
- Kidney problems.
At what age is lupus usually diagnosed?
Age. Although lupus affects people of all ages, it’s most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45. Race. Lupus is more common in African Americans, Hispanics and Asian Americans.
What is a common finding in the early diagnosis of lupus?
The most common lupus symptoms (which are the same for men and women) are: Extreme fatigue (feeling tired all the time) Pain or swelling in the joints. Swelling in the hands, feet, or around the eyes.
Can a 9 year old have lupus?
Children with lupus may have similar manifestations as adults. However, childhood onset lupus is usually a more severe illness and has greater disease damage over time. Kids with lupus may develop kidney and or brain disease within the first 2-3 years of the diagnosis.
Can I pass lupus to my child?
It’s not contagious, like measles — you can’t “catch” it from another person. It’s not a disease that parents pass directly down to their children; in fact, there’s only about a 5 percent chance that a son or daughter of someone with lupus will also develop it.
What is the earliest occurring symptom of systemic lupus erythematosus?
SLE may first appear as extreme tiredness (fatigue), a vague feeling of discomfort or illness (malaise), fever, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Most affected individuals also have joint pain, typically affecting the same joints on both sides of the body, and muscle pain and weakness. Skin problems are common in SLE.
How do I know if my child has autoimmune disease?
Signs that a child may be having an immune system problem include:
- low-grade fever.
- fatigue or chronic tiredness.
- dizziness.
- weight loss.
- rashes and skin lesions.
- stiffness in the joints.
- brittle hair or hair loss.
- dry eyes and/or mouth.
How long do children live with lupus?
Recent findings: The 5-year survival rate of patients with juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus approaches 100%, and the 10-year survival rate is close to 90%. The development of cumulative organ damage has been observed in 50-60% of patients.
What are the signs of Lupus in children?
Some of the most common symptoms of lupus in kids are: Sensitivity to sunlight. Swelling of the glands. Kidney problems or diseases. Extreme fatigue and unexplained fever. Oral ulcers and ulcers inside the nose. Blood disorders like low count of red and white blood cells and platelets.
How does systemic lupus affect children?
Lupus can affect children in different ways. For some, lupus can be mild – for others, it can be life-threatening. In children, lupus most commonly affects the skin, joints, and major internal organs – like the kidneys, liver, brain, heart, or lungs. Lupus tends to be more aggressive and severe in children than in adults.
Does your child have lupus?
Ninety percent of adult lupus occurs in women in their child-bearing years, but lupus can also be diagnosed in men and children. “We see systemic lupus in girls at the age of puberty where the disease is similar to adult lupus, but we also have patients as young as 4 to 6 years old.
How many kids have lupus?
In children, Lupus is most common in those 15 or older. According to the Arthritis Foundation , about 25,000 children and adolescents have lupus or a related disorder.