Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases are the one in which your immune cells which by default should protect, starts attacking our own body cells. That’s why it is termed as autoimmune diseases.
The immune system normally protects us from disease causing microbes, bacteria, viruses etc. When the body is attacked the immune comes into play and send fighter cells to attack them.
Normally our Immune system has the capability to differentiate between foreign cells and body cells but in case of autoimmunity the body cells are mistakenly attacked by the Immune system.
Why do we get Autoimmune Diseases?
Well we do not known exactly what causes Autoimmune diseases but the increase in the prevalence and incidence to Autoimmune Diseases has definitely something to do with the insult of the body and the mind.
Infecting agents, environmental factors, strong mental emotions are associated with autoimmune diseases.
Habits like smoking, increasing levels of pollutants in the environment, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, usage of Plastics which release harmful chemicals are adding to the cause of the increase in the incidence of Autoimmune Diseases everyday.
Increased tension pressure at the workplace, unconjugal relationships, unhappy family life, constant pressure to cope up with the never ending expectations at workplace or family creating havoc inside the mind is an important factor for Autoimmunity in the body.
Some autoimmune diseases, like multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and lupus, run in families. Not every family member will necessarily have the same disease, but they are more susceptibility to an autoimmune condition.
Some common autoimmune diseases
There are more than 80 different autoimmune diseases. Here are some of them
1. Type 1 diabetes
In type 1 diabetes mellitus, the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. So, pancreas which produce insulin can’t do so and as a result of it, the metabolism is hindered.
High blood sugar results can lead to complications like damage to the organs like the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. It can because of retinopathies, neuropathies, nephropathies
2. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
In rheumatoid arthritis the immune system attacks the joints. It can damage a wide variety of body systems, like the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system attacks the lining of the membranes that surround the joints.
It causes inflammation thickening of the lining or the synovium, and eventually destroys the cartilage and bone within the joint.
The tendons and ligaments that hold the joints together get weak gradually, and then finally the joint loses its shape and alignment.
3. Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis damages the myelin sheath, the protective coating that surrounds the nerve cells, in the central nervous system especially the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Damage to the myelin sheath slows the transmission speed of impulses between your brain and spinal cord to and from the rest of the body. It can give rise to symptoms throughout the body.
It can lead to symptoms like numbness, weakness, balance issues, and trouble walking. It can sometimes even result in paralysis, vision loss, and mobility problems.
4. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
The term lupus is used to identify a number of immune diseases that have similar clinical presentations and laboratory features, but SLE is the most common type of lupus. So most of the time it’s SLE when someone says Lupus.
Symptoms of SLE will include sun sensitivity rashes, such as a malar or butterfly rash, mucous membrane ulcers, which may occur in the mouth or nose, hair loss
hair thinning. Arthritis, with swelling or tenderness of the small joints of the hands, feet, knee, and wrists.
There can also be of cardiac or lung involvement, such as murmurs, rubs, or irregular heartbeats.
5. Inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Each type of IBD can affect a different part of the GI tract.
Symptoms of IBD will include Abdominal cramps and pain, bloody mucousy stools, great urgency for bowel movement, loss of appetite, fever, weight loss, anemia, weakness etc.
Crohn’s disease can inflame any part of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus.
Ulcerative colitis affects only the lining of the large intestine or colon and rectum.
6. Addison’s disease
Addison’s disease or adrenal insufficiency is the condition in which the body produces very little of the cortisol and aldosterone as well as androgen hormones. Having too little of cortisol can affect the metabolism of the body. Deficiency of aldosterone hormone will lead to sodium loss and excess potassium in the bloodstream.
Muscle weakness, fatigue, tired feeling, hyperpigmentation of skin, weight loss, decrease in heart rate and BP, low blood sugar, sores in the mouth, dizziness, nausea, vomiting.
7. Graves’ disease
Graves’ disease attacks the thyroid gland in the neck, causing it to produce excess of thyroid hormones. It is one of the common thyroid problems. This condition is called as hyperthyroidism. Thyroid hormones control the body’s energy usage, known as metabolism.
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder. It causes your thyroid gland to create too much thyroid hormone in the body. Graves’ disease is one of the most common forms of hyperthyroidism.
In Graves’ disease, your immune system creates antibodies known as thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins. They can stimulate the thyroid gland to produce too much thyroid hormone.
As a result of it, body’s metabolism kicks into high gear, resulting a pounding heart, sweating, trembling, and weight loss.
Thyroid hormones affects the way your nervous system function, brain developments, body temperature, and other functioning of the body.
Having increase amount of the hormone can cause symptoms like nervousness, a fast heartbeat, heat intolerance, and weight loss.
One important symptom of this disease is bulging of the eyes, called exophthalmos. It is called Graves’ ophthalmopathy.
8. Myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disorder which causes weakness in the skeletal muscles that worsens after periods of activity and improves after periods of rest.
It affects the nerve impulse transmission at the neuromuscular junction. It causes weakness in the skeletal muscles, which are the muscles your body uses for movement.
Myasthenia gravis affects nerve impulses that help the brain control the muscles. When the communication from nerves to muscles is impaired, it can stop the crucial muscle contractions from occurring, resulting in muscle weakness.
The muscle weakness that gets worse with activity and improves with rest. Symptoms include difficulty in speaking, problem in going upstairs, lifting weight, facial paralysis, difficulty in chewing, swallowing, breathing difficulties, drooping of eyelids, double vision, fatigue, etc.
9. Celiac disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that’s triggered when you eat gluten. It’s also known as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains. When a person suffering from celiac disease is having gluten-containing food, the body overreacts to the protein and it damages the lining of the small intestine. the small intestine is lined by villi which are small finger-like projections, which gets damaged.
When your villi get injured, the small intestine can’t properly absorb nutrients from food. So, this can lead to malnourishment, as well as the loss of bone density, miscarriage, infertility, or other neurological diseases. It can also be the cause of certain malignancies or cancer.
People with celiac disease can’t eat foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and other grain products. In Celiac disease the immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract and causes inflammation.
10. Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain. Its classic symptoms are widespread muscle and joint pain with fatigue. It can resemble symptoms of arthritis, but there is no joint inflammation as we see in the case of arthritis. It is more like a rheumatic condition, that causes soft tissue pain or myofascial pain.
Symptoms will include widespread pain, Stiffness, jaw pain sometimes, tiredness in face muscles, fibrous tissue pain & stiffness, early morning stiffness, irregular sleep patterns, tingling & numbness, headaches, irregular sleep patterns, restless leg syndrome, sensitivity to heat & cold, difficulties with memory or concentration.