Autoimmune Diseases: Types, Causes & Treatment

A disorder in which the body’s immune system fails to identify and targets its own healthy tissues as invading. Inflammation is a common symptom of autoimmune diseases, and it can affect many different regions of the body. The body parts affected differ based on the type of autoimmune condition a person suffers.

Fatigue, fever, muscular aches, joint pain and swelling, skin problems, gut pain, digestive problems, and swollen glands are all common indications and symptoms. Symptoms might be mild or severe, and they come and go. Autoimmune disorders come in many different types. Women are more likely to develop them, and they can run into families. Also known as an immune deficiency.

What are Autoimmune Diseases?

A disorder in which your immune system mistakenly targets your body is known as autoimmune disease.

Normally, the immune system protects us against pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. It sends out an army of fighter cells to attack these foreign invaders when it detects them.

However, your immune system is able to distinguish between foreign invading and native cells.

The immune system misidentifies parts of your body, such as your joints or skin, as external in autoimmune disease. Autoantibodies are proteins released by the body that assault healthy cells.

Immune system disorders result in abnormally low or excessive immune system activity. Overactive immune systems cause the body to attack and destroy its own tissues (autoimmune diseases). Immune deficiency disorders reduce the body’s ability to fight against intruders, making it more susceptible to infection.

The immune system may produce antibodies that, instead of defending infections, attack the body’s own tissues in reaction to an unknown stimulation.

Types of Autoimmune diseases

There are over 80 various types of autoimmune diseases. They have the ability to affect practically every aspect of your body.

The following are some of the most frequent types of autoimmune diseases:

Joint and muscle diseases include:

• Psoriatic Arthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Gastrointestinal diseases include:

• Ulcerative Colitis
• Celiac Disease
• Crohn’s Disease

Skin oriented Diseases:

• Psoriasis
• Dermatomyositis

Nervous system diseases include:

• Inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Other Chronic Conditions:

• Autoimmune Vasculitis
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Pernicious Anemia
• Vasculitis
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

What Are The Causes?

Causes of Autoimmune diseases depend upon a variety of factors that are unclear. However, there are several risk factors that can make you more likely to develop an autoimmune disease:

• Some prescribed drugs
• Having an autoimmune disease-prone family
• Smoking
• Having one autoimmune condition increases risk of another
• Exposure to toxins
• Being a woman (78% of those with autoimmune diseases)
• Obesity
• Infections

How to Diagnose Them?

Most autoimmune diseases can’t be diagnosed with a single test. To diagnose you, your doctor will use a combination of tests, a discussion of your symptoms, and a physical examination.

Common diagnostic methods include:

• Antinuclear antibody test (ANA)
• Autoantibodies tests
• Non-specific inflammation markers

Patient Guidance:

• Share family health history
• Keep track of symptoms
• Consult specialists based on symptoms

Sign and Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases

Symptoms vary depending on the body part affected. Common signs of inflammation include:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Heat
• Discomfort

General Symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Muscle ache
• Swelling and Redness
• Lowering Sustained Fever
• Hair loss
• Skin rashes
• Difficulty in concentration
• Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet

Disease-specific symptoms exist. For example:

• Type 1 diabetes: excessive thirst, weight loss, exhaustion
• IBD: stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea

Treatment Options

Autoimmune disorders have no cures, but symptoms can be managed with personalized approaches.

Medical Treatments:

• Depression and anxiety medications
• Insulin injections
• Sleep aids
• Plasma exchanges
• Corticosteroids
• Eczema creams and tablets
• Immune globulin (IV)
• Immunosuppressants

Complementary and Ayurvedic Treatments:

• Herbs
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic care

Ayurvedic View:

• Focus on low Agni and low Ojas as root causes
• Use of tailored remedies, dietary changes, and lifestyle adjustments