Autoimmune diseases are significantly more common in women, affecting up to 80% more than men, with specific conditions like Lupus (9:1), Sjögren's syndrome (9:1), Rheumatoid Arthritis (3:1), and Multiple Sclerosis (2:1) showing much higher female prevalence, often linked to hormonal shifts, genetics, and immune system differences, with hormonal transitions like puberty and pregnancy playing key roles in risk.
Autoimmune diseases commonly show up on the skin in the form of different rashes. Skin changes and rashes may be the first sign of an underlying autoimmune disease. The skin changes can range from scaly patches and open sores to blisters. Rashes may also show up on various parts of the body.
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder occurs when the hinge joint of the lower jaw becomes inflamed, causing pain and restricted movement. Mouth ulcers. Autoimmune conditions like lupus and Crohn's disease can cause ulcers to develop more easily on the soft tissues of the mouth.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue in several joints of the body, including the knee.
As an autoimmune disease, lupus can cause inflammation in various parts of your body, including your nasal passages. This inflammation can lead to ulcers (sores) in your nose, making you more susceptible to nosebleeds. Sores may occur more often during lupus flares, when symptoms worsen for a period of time.
Common symptoms of autoimmune disease include:
A typical sign of lupus is a butterfly-shaped rash over the cheeks and nose. It often happens after being in sunlight. The rash may look red on white skin and be harder to see on Black or brown skin.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an ongoing, called chronic, condition that causes pain, swelling and irritation, called inflammation, in the joints. But it also can damage other parts of the body. These may include the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.
If you have a positive ANA test, an ENA test can check the blood for the presence of antinuclear antibodies that are known to be markers of certain diseases. The ENA test can help your health care team and your rheumatologist diagnose autoimmune diseases such as: Lupus.
Three key signs of Sjögren's syndrome are dry eyes, dry mouth, and profound fatigue, stemming from this autoimmune condition attacking moisture-producing glands, though other symptoms like joint pain, swollen glands, and systemic issues can also occur.
Autoimmune Conditions and Oral Health
Loss of strength in the hands and feet and shooting pains in the arms and legs can also occur with vasculitis. Skin rashes, purple or red spots or bumps, clusters of small dots, splotches, bruises, hives, and itching also sometimes develop.
Behcet (beh-CHET) disease, also called Behcet syndrome, is a rare condition. It causes blood vessel swelling, called inflammation, throughout the body. Behcet disease symptoms can seem like they aren't related at first. They can include mouth sores, eye irritation and swelling, skin rashes and sores, and genital sores.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which antibodies destroy the communication between nerves and muscle, resulting in weakness of the skeletal muscles. Myasthenia gravis affects the voluntary muscles of the body, especially those that control the eyes, mouth, throat and limbs.
These rashes can present as red, itchy patches or raised bumps on the skin. In some cases, they may resemble eczema or psoriasis, making an accurate diagnosis crucial for effective management and treatment.
A CBC test can help reveal patterns in the blood that may indicate autoimmune diseases. Here's how certain conditions may be associated with CBC results: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): CBC results may show anaemia of chronic disease, characterised by decreased RBC count, low haemoglobin, and low haematocrit.
ANA production is strongly age-dependent, and increases in healthy people over age 65. A positive ANA test may indicate a need for follow up blood tests, a physical exam, and a review of history and symptoms. Additionally, some medications, viruses, and conditions (such as cancer) can cause a positive ANA test.
Hashimoto's disease is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects your thyroid gland. It can cause lower-than-normal levels of thyroid hormone in your body. This affects several areas of your body and causes symptoms like fatigue, weight gain and constipation.
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects the spine. Ankylosing spondylitis is an autoimmune disease.
Here are some specialists who treat autoimmune diseases:
When lupus, a systemic autoimmune disease, affects the joints, it can cause symptoms similar to RA. Most people with lupus also experience flares, where symptoms get worse, then improve or disappear. Other similar signs of lupus and RA include fatigue, fever, and dry eyes.
Lupus can also affect your hair and nails
The most common type of lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), can cause dry, coarse hair to develop along the hairline. These dry, coarse hairs break off easily, causing the sparse-looking hair known as lupus hair. Other types of hair loss also develop.
People with lupus can develop red ulcers on the lips, the tongue, and the inside of the mouth. A white halo surrounds these ulcers, and they may or may not cause irritation. Those experiencing a “flare-up” can develop ulcers quite quickly.
The headaches may come in episodes or may be an all-day or frequent occurrence. Headaches may be related to tension in the muscles around the eyes, face, neck or shoulders. Migraines are another common type of headache experienced by people with lupus.