Does lupus cause chest pain?

If you are someone living with lupus, or if you just have an insatiable, morbid curiosity about medical conditions (no judgement here), then you may be wondering if lupus can cause chest pain. The answer? Drumroll please…

Yes.

That was kind of anticlimactic, huh? Well, don’t worry – we’re not done here. Keep reading to learn more about why lupus can cause chest pain and what you should do if you experience it.

What Is Lupus?

Before we dive into the specifics of chest pain and lupus, let’s do a little background on this condition. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. It affects an estimated 1.5 million people in the United States alone and is known for causing a range of symptoms that can vary widely from person to person.

Fun fact: the name “lupus” comes from the Latin word for wolf because centuries ago people thought that skin lesions caused by lupus looked like wolf bites. (Whoever came up with that comparison clearly had never seen a real wolf before.)

How Does Lupus Cause Chest Pain?

Alrighty, now onto the main event: chest pain and lupus. There are actually several ways in which this sneaky disease can lead to discomfort in your chest region:

Inflammation

Lupus causes inflammation throughout the body as your immune system attacks healthy tissue instead of foreign invaders like viruses or bacteria. This inflammation can irritate various parts of your body including your heart muscle leading to sharp pains around your sternum area (ouch).

Pleurisy

Another joyous symptom associated with lupus is pleurisy which involves inflammation of the lining surrounding both lungs (also known as pleura). This can cause stabbing pains every time you take a breath (ummm, no thank you).

Blood Vessel Inflammation

Lupus can also affect your blood vessels including coronary arteries leading to inflammation and in some cases causing damage that leads to angina (chest pain typically caused by reduced blood flow to the heart).

What Should You Do If You Have Chest Pain?

If you are experiencing chest pain and have lupus or suspect that you might, it’s important not to ignore it. Here are a few steps you should take:

  1. Stop whatever activity you’re doing – this is especially important if the pain is associated with physical exertion.
  2. Rest for several minutes – see if the discomfort subsides on its own.
  3. Take any prescribed medication as directed – this might include things like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or corticosteroids depending on what other symptoms of lupus you are experiencing.
  4. Call your doctor if the pain persists or worsens – they may recommend further testing like an electrocardiogram (ECG) or echocardiogram.

The Bottom Line

So there you have it folks: while chest pain isn’t always directly caused by lupus, people with this condition should still be vigilant about seeking medical attention promptly whenever such symptoms arise. Just another day in the mysterious world of autoimmune diseases!

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