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"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/lupus-4014693&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; \u2014 often shortened to just &amp;amp;#34;lupus&amp;amp;#34;\u2014 is an autoimmune disease that affects 300,000 people in the United States, according to a 2008 article in &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Arthritis and Rheumatology&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Headache has been reported as common in people with lupus, but there is debate as to the precise link between these two conditions. Let&amp;amp;#39;s explore the basics of lupus and probe into the headache-lupus connection in a question-answer style format.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;First...How is Lupus Diagnosed?&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The diagnosis of lupus is usually confirmed by a rheumatologist using either criteria derived from the American College of Rheumatology or from the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC).&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Since lupus is a systemic or whole-body disease, there are a number of signs and symptoms a person with lupus may have.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Some of these signs or symptoms include:&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Rash&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Photosensitivity \u2014 sensitive to sunlight, causing a skin rash&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Oral ulcers&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Arthritis of 2 or more joints&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Pleuritis (i.e., inflammation of tissue lining the lung) or pericarditis (i.e., inflammations of tissue lining the heart)&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Kidney disease&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Neuropsychiatric disease (i.e., seizure, &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;headache&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;, psychosis)&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Blood Disorder (e.g., low blood cell counts which may cause a person to be anemic or be more prone to infection or bleeding&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Laboratory evidence of antibodies in the blood (e.g., anti-double stranded DNA, anti-Smith)&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Are Headaches More Common in People with Lupus?&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The answer to this question is controversial \u2014 with some studies finding an increased prevalence\u00A0 of headaches in the lupus population and others not. A recent 2013 study in &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Arthritis and Rheumatology &amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;did not find that headaches were more common in people with lupus, when compared to the general population.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Is There a Headache Syndrome Attributed to Lupus?&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Two common types of headaches described in patients with lupus include &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-a-migraine-without-aura-1719569&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;migraine&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/idiopathic-intracranial-hypertension-1719451&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;benign intracranial hypertension&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. Scientists debate over the presence of a unique headache syndrome that signals lupus activity in a person&amp;amp;#39;s body. This unique headache has been termed a &amp;amp;#34;lupus headache&amp;amp;#34; and is a severe, persistent headache that resembles a &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-a-migraine-without-aura-1719569&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;migraine&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, but is not responsive to &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/opioids-for-chronic-pain-2564486&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;opioids &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;for pain relief.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Is Headache a Sign of Lupus Activity Within the Body?&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Not necessarily. In one 2013 study in &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Arthritis Rheum,&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; scientists found that most headaches in people with lupus were not a sign of increased lupus activity occurring within the body, with the exception of a lupus headache. Even so, scientists propose that this rare lupus headache could reflect the nonspecific effects of having a whole-body illness and is still not always a sign of worsening disease activity.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Why Is It Important to Know Whether a Headache is Related to a Person&amp;amp;#39;s Lupus?&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;When a person with lupus has a headache, it&amp;amp;#39;s important for the person and her doctor to be able to distinguish between a lupus-related headache and another form of headache, like a &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-a-migraine-without-aura-1719569&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;migraine&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. A lupus-related headache suggests that a lupus-related process is occurring within that person&amp;amp;#39;s nervous system. In this case, a doctor may escalate lupus-related medications. In the case of a suspected migraine in a person with lupus, a doctor can treat with traditional migraine-alleviating medications, like &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/facts-about-triptan-medications-for-migraines-1719872&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;7&amp;quot;&amp;gt;triptans &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;or &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/nsaids-nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs-188256&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot;&amp;gt;NSAIDs&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Take Home Message&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;It appears that most headaches in people with lupus are not a reflection of worsening disease activity in the body. That being said, headache in a patient with lupus needs to be evaluated by a doctor \u2014 to be certain there is nothing else more serious going on with the body.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Sources&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Hanly JG et al. Headache in systemic lupus erythematosis: results from a prospective, international inception cohort study. &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Arthritis Rheum.&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; 2013 Nov;65(11):288-97.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Helmick CG, Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States:Part I. &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Arthritis Rheum. &amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;2008 Jan;58(1):15-25. &amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Petri M, Orbai AM, Alarc\u00F3n GS, et al. Derivation and validation of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus. &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Arthritis Rheum&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. 2012 Aug. 64(8):2677-86.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;The American College of Rheumatology nomenclature and case definitions for neuropsychiatric lupus syndromes. &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Arthritis Rheum. &amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;1999 Apr;42(4):599-608.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;em&amp;gt;DISCLAIMER: The information in this site is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for personal care by a licensed physician. Please see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment of any concerning symptoms or medical condition&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/what-is-the-link-between-headaches-and-lupus-1719619>