Spike In Nightmares, Hallucinations Could Be Warning Signs Of Lupus: Study

Around 60% of the participants reported experiencing disrupted dream sleep, and one-third of them noted that these issues began over a year before the onset of lupus disease. (Credit: Image by tiarachardz on Freepik)

Certain mental health and neurological symptoms can be early warning signs of an underlying autoimmune disorder. A spike in nightmares and hallucinations could indicate the onset of autoimmune diseases such as lupus and signal an approaching disease flare, a study revealed.

"For many years, I have discussed nightmares with my lupus patients and thought that there was a link with their disease activity. This research provides evidence of this, and we are strongly encouraging more doctors to ask about nightmares and other neuropsychiatric symptoms – thought to be unusual, but actually very common in systemic autoimmunity – to help us detect disease flares earlier," said Professor David D'Cruz from Kings College London, a senior study author of the latest study.