How is lupus diagnosed?
There is no single test for lupus. Because lupus affects different people in different ways, it can be hard to diagnose.  It may take months or years for a doctor to diagnose lupus. Your doctor may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

• Medical history
• Complete exam
• Blood tests

• Skin biopsy (looking at skin samples under a microscope)
• Kidney biopsy (looking at tissue from your kidney under a microscope).

Your doctor will check for lupus by examining you, asking you questions about your medical history and common symptoms, and doing some urine and blood tests. It is easier for your doctor to diagnose lupus if you have the most common symptoms and your blood has certain proteins. These proteins are called antinuclear antibodies, or ANAs. But other problems can cause your body to make ANAs, so doctors will use blood tests and other tests to find out if you have lupus.

 

How is it treated?
You may need special kinds of doctors to treat the many symptoms of lupus. Your health care team may include:

• A family doctor
• Rheumatologists – doctors who treat arthritis and other diseases that cause swelling in the joints
• Clinical immunologists – doctors who treat immune system disorders
• Nephrologists – doctors who treat kidney disease
• Hematologists – doctors who treat blood disorders
• Dermatologists – doctors who treat skin diseases
• Neurologists – doctors who treat problems with the nervous system
• Nurses
• Psychologists
• Social workers

Your doctor will develop a treatment plan to fit your needs. You and your doctor should review the plan often to be sure it is working. You should report new symptoms to your doctor right away so that treatment can be changed if needed.

The goals of the treatment plan are to:

• Prevent flares
• Treat flares when they occur
• Reduce organ damage and other problems.

Treatments may include drugs to:

• Reduce swelling and pain
• Prevent or reduce flares
• Calm the immune system
• Reduce or prevent damage to joints.

Alternative treatments are those that are not part of standard treatment. No research shows that this kind of treatment works for people with lupus. You should talk to your doctor about alternative treatments.

Lupus is treated by:

• Applying corticosteroid cream for rashes.
• Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for mild joint or muscle pain and fever.
• Taking antimalarial medicines to treat fatigue, joint pain, and skin rashes.
• Taking corticosteroids if other medicines are not controlling your symptoms.

Because corticosteroids are powerful medicines and can cause serious side effects, the doctor will recommend the lowest dose that will give the most benefit.