Autoimmune Disease Basics Rheumatoid arthritis, a form of arthritis that attacks the joints. Psoriasis, a condition marked by thick, scaly patches of skin. Psoriatic arthritis, a type of arthritis affecting some people with psoriasis. Lupus, a disease that damages areas of the body that include joints, skin and organs.
Myositis (my-o-SY-tis) is a rare type of autoimmune disease that inflames and weakens muscle fibers. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's own immune system attacks itself. In the case of myositis, the immune system attacks healthy muscle tissue, which results in inflammation, swelling, pain, and eventual weakness.
If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks the healthy cells of your organs and tissues by mistake. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases. They can affect almost any part of your body. For example, alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease of the skin that causes hair loss.
Or if your immune system starts to attack your body instead of safeguarding it, you could have an autoimmune disorder like rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes. Other autoimmune conditions include celiac disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis.
Most autoimmune disorders are not fatal. People can live full lives with a typical life expectancy. Your potential lifespan and your quality of life will depend, though, on getting the right kind of medical care. Many of these disorders can be managed with medication that alleviates symptoms.
Most people with myositis have it for the rest of their lives. People with myositis have an increased risk of developing rhabdomyolysis. Some cases of myositis can be fatal. Around 5% of people with dermatomyositis die within a year of their diagnosis.
Foods such as red meat, dairy, pastry, and beverages containing caffeine and alcohol trigger systemic inflammation, aggravating the autoimmune disease. If you are struggling with this condition, check out the most common foods that worsen autoimmune diseases so you can avoid them altogether.
Some common autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes mellitus, are relatively easy to diagnose, while others, such as vasculitis, Addison's disease, lupus, and other rheumatic diseases, are more difficult. Additionally, many of the 100-plus autoimmune diseases are uncommon or rare.
Psychological stress is reported to be a risk factor for autoimmune diseases, including Graves' disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Different types of stress and the length of time that stress is present might also affect the presentation of inflammatory autoimmune disease.
Exposure to certain factors in the environment – such as viral infections, sunlight, certain medications, and smoking – may trigger lupus. Immune and Inflammatory Influences.
They can be a variety of things, including gluten, soy, dairy, corn, nightshades, grains, legumes, coffee, and/or eggs. Work with a functional medicine doctor to find out what diet is best for you. Environmental toxins: Mold and other environmental toxins can both induce AI disease and trigger AI flares.
Profound and debilitating fatigue is the most common complaint reported among individuals with autoimmune disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid Factor (RF)
It is usually used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, but it can also detect juvenile arthritis, lupus, certain infections like tuberculosis, some types of cancer such as leukemia, and other autoimmune disorders.
Women account for 80–95% of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune thyroid disease and systemic sclerosis, and about 60% of arthritis and multiple sclerosis patients are women.
One blood test for autoimmune disease is C-reactive protein (CRP). Another test is ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) - this is done to assess an inflammation that is not from an infection or due to other reasons. One of the most common blood tests for detecting autoimmune disorders is ANA (antinuclear antibodies).
If you have a neurological autoimmune disease, your immune system may be overly active and mistakenly attack healthy cells. The most common of these is multiple sclerosis (MS).