Vasculitis or inflammation of the small blood vessels is a central feature in lupus. The more common blood vessels involved are those in the finger tips and around the elbows. Occasionally, larger vessels are involved. The while of the eye, the sclera, can become red and inflammed, the condition is known as scleritis . A different problem is an increase in blood clotting.
Headaches are a major feature of lupus and often precedes diagnosis by many years.
Some patients have full migraines with flashing lights, nausea and vomiting. Seizures and movement disorders are frightening. A seizure can occur during the initial acute phase during a major flare. In the majority of cases, seizures stop when the lupus is adequately treated. One of the more recently recognised features of lupus is the breadth of neuro-psychiatric involvement.