12. Shortness of breath
There are several pulmonary manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus, and most of them result in shortness of breath. This symptom is called dyspnea, and it has many different causes. In severe cases, a pulmonary embolism leads to severe shortness of breath and pain, and in other instances, alveolar hemorrhage, a lung infection, or pneumonitis might compromise the normal function of the respiratory tree and make it difficult to breathe properly.
In every case, talk to your doctor as soon as possible if you have been diagnosed with any type of lupus or suspect the diagnosis and start experiencing severe respiratory problems. It might be due to a simple infection. Still, other diagnoses should be considered as well, and by reaching an early diagnosis, you could be contributing a great deal to solving a severe problem.