May is Lupus Awareness Month
If you live with arthritis or care for someone who does, you may have heard about lupus and wondered if it’s connected. May marks Lupus Awareness Month, and it’s the perfect time to learn more about this complex autoimmune disease, how it relates to arthritis, and why understanding the difference matters.
What is lupus?
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that impacts over one in every 1000 Canadians, according to Lupus Canada. It causes inflammation in one or more parts of the body and can affect everything from the joints and skin to vital organs like the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain.
Like arthritis, lupus symptoms often come and go in “flares,” with quieter periods in between. While the exact cause isn’t known and there’s no cure yet, many people with lupus can live full, active lives with the right treatment.
Who is affected?
While lupus can affect people of any gender and age, it’s most common in women between the ages of 15 and 45, who are about nine times more likely than men to be diagnosed. At least five million people worldwide have a form of lupus.
Lupus and arthritis: What’s the link?
Lupus isn’t a type of arthritis, but arthritis is one of its most common symptoms. Many people with lupus experience joint pain and swelling, sometimes as one of the first signs. But lupus is more than joint pain. It can also cause symptoms like skin rashes, extreme fatigue, and problems with the kidneys, heart, or blood vessels.
Lupus-related arthritis is caused by inflammation in the joints, similar to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). If not treated, it can lead to joint damage over time.
RA and lupus are both autoimmune diseases, but they affect the body differently. RA mostly targets the joints. Lupus can affect almost any part of the body. Unlike lupus and RA, which are caused by the immune system attacking healthy tissue, osteoarthritis results from the body’s failed attempt to repair damaged joint tissues, leading to the breakdown of cartilage and causing joint damage over time.
Living with lupus and arthritis
For people like Megan, who live with both diseases, life is a challenge. At age 29, Megan was diagnosed with RA and incomplete lupus, a term which means she had some symptoms of lupus but not enough to make the diagnosis with certainty.
Lupus and RA not only impact her body differently but also her life. “Lupus impacts my lifestyle. I need to watch my energy expenditure, wear my sunblock, get lots of sleep, eat well, exercise, keep low stress and avoid extremes in temperatures,” says Megan. “But my RA impacts my daily movements. I wear braces when I’m going for long walks. I avoid movements or heavy lifting that strain or hyperextend the joints.”
“Chronic disease can be very lonely and isolating,” she says. “Reach out to organizations like Lupus Canada and Arthritis Society Canada to find your community.”
What you can do
Arthritis Society Canada is proud to work with ecosystem partners like Lupus Canada to mobilize the co-creation of the nationwide Arthritis Action Plan, shaping the future of arthritis care.
If you or someone close to you has arthritis and starts experiencing symptoms that go beyond the joints, like persistent fatigue, rashes, or unusual lab results, it's important to talk to a healthcare provider. Understanding the difference between lupus and arthritis can help ensure you get the right diagnosis and treatment.
This Lupus Awareness Month, we encourage you to learn more and help spread the word. Greater awareness leads to earlier diagnoses, better care, and a stronger voice for people living with autoimmune diseases. For tips on living well with lupus, visit LupusCanada.org.