It may seem like lupus and lung disease don’t have much in common. But around half of all people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common type of lupus, also deal with lung issues during the course of their disease.
Lupus causes inflammation in your body. This inflammation affects many parts of your body, including the joints, skin, and blood cells. Inflammation in your lungs can cause issues with:
- The membrane lining on your lungs
- Blood vessels inside the lungs
- Your diaphragm muscle, which inflates and deflates your lungs
Though there are several lung conditions linked to lupus, many of them share symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath. If you have lupus and have lung symptoms, see your doctor.
Lung Conditions Tied to Lupus
Several conditions can show up as a complication of lupus. They include:
Pleuritis
This condition, also known as pleurisy, involves inflammation of the lining of the lungs and is the most common lung issue people with lupus have. Your lungs have a thin membrane that surrounds them called the pleura. The pleura also lines the inside of your chest cavity. It makes a small amount of fluid to keep the area it covers moving smoothly.
When the pleura gets inflamed because of lupus, it puts pressure on your lungs. With pleuritis, you may feel pain in your chest, especially when you take a deep breath. This is from the inflamed pleura rubbing together.
Sometimes fluid builds up and can leak out (this is called a pleural effusion), which may cause shortness of breath or a cough.
Symptoms of pleuritis include:
- Severe, often sharp, stabbing pain in your chest
- Pain when you take a deep breath, sneeze, cough, or laugh
- Shortness of breath
Your doctor can diagnose it by looking at your chest on X-ray along with other tests. To treat the pain and inflammation, your doctor may give you NSAIDs or steroid medications. Antimalarial medications such as hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) may also help prevent pleuritis.
Pneumonitis
When tissue in the lung itself is inflamed, your doctor may diagnose you with pneumonia. Up to 10% of people with lupus get this condition. It can be serious and lead to permanent scars on your lungs.
Medically Reviewed by Sabrina Felson, MD
Written by Rachel Reiff Ellis
HPS Magazine 