Lupus and fibromyalgia (FMS) are sometimes misdiagnosed for the other. Because their primary symptoms can be very similar. Besides, quite a number of patients with one disease also suffer from the other. However, the two are totally different conditions.
The key difference between these two diseases is that
- Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease. And it can cause mild to severe damages to the skin, joints, and internal organs.
- Whereas FMS is a neurosensory disorder, causing pain all over the body.
People with FMS don't tend to develop lupus, but people with lupus are at a higher risk of FMS. So far, we don't know why. It's possible that the pain of lupus leads to central sensitization, which is a key feature of FMS.
Until researchers find the causes of these conditions, we won't understand their relationship to each other.
Keywords: lupus fibromyalgia
