Positive ANA

Dry eyes and mouth can be a sign of Sjogren's syndrome (a condition related to lupus) though such symptoms can be seen with normal aging, in people taking diuretics ("water pills") and in many other conditions.

Raynaud's also accompanies many rheumatic diseases, including Lupus, but is nearly always present in scleroderma (another condition associated with a positive ANA). If you also have skin thickening on the fingers or elsewhere, it is possible you have scleroderma. Read more about this condition at the end of this guide.

Weakness in the muscles, making it difficult to arise from a chair or hold your arms over your head (as when combing or brushing your hair) could be a sign of muscle inflammation. This can occur with a positive ANA in people who have polymyositis, dermatomyositis, or mixed connective tissue disease.

Conditions thought to be related to immune dysfunction, such as some forms of liver disease (called autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune cholangitis), infection (such as hepatitis C) or thyroid disease (including Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and Graves' disease) may be associated with a positive ANA, although these diagnoses can never be made on the basis of the ANA alone.

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