Autoimmune diseases

Section 1: Definition and General Overview of Autoimmune Diseases

  • Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells or parts of the body.
  • These occur when the immune system cannot distinguish between foreign cells and the body’s own cells.
  • Autoimmune diseases can affect any part of the body, including the heart, brain, nerves, muscles, skin, eyes, joints, lungs, kidneys, glands, the digestive tract, and blood vessels.

Section 2: Causes and Risk Factors

  • The specific causes of autoimmune diseases are unknown, but genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors are thought to play a role.
  • Certain diseases are more common in particular families or individuals with specific genetic markers.
  • Autoimmune diseases tend to occur more frequently in women and many are diagnosed during their childbearing years.

Section 3: Types of Autoimmune Diseases

  • The most common autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis,** autoimmune thyroid disease, and **coeliac disease.
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease causing chronic inflammation of joints and other areas of the body.
  • Type 1 Diabetes is a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
  • In Lupus, the immune system primarily targets the body’s organ systems.

Section 4: Diagnosis and Treatment

  • Diagnosis of autoimmune diseases often involves blood tests seeking autoantibodies, as well as tests related to the specific disease suspected.
  • There’s no cure for these diseases, but treatments can control the overactive immune response and bring down inflammation or decrease pain.
  • Medication used widely for treatment includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immunosuppressants, and corticosteroids.

Section 5: Effect of Autoimmune Disease on Quality of Life

  • These diseases can lead to chronic pain, loss of function in body parts, decreased quality of life, and can even lead to death in severe cases.
  • Chronic health conditions like these can also cause mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
  • Many autoimmune diseases are considered disabilities due to their debilitating nature that turns everyday tasks into arduous affairs.