The immune system protects the body by recognizing germs such as viruses and bacteria as foreign and destroying them. In an autoimmune disease, it attacks the healthy cells of the body's own organs and tissues by mistake.
Many diseases, many targets
There are more than 80 types of autoimmune disease, and they can affect almost any part of the body. A few examples:
- Alopecia areata affects the skin and causes hair loss.
- Autoimmune hepatitis affects the liver.
- In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the pancreas.
- In rheumatoid arthritis, it can attack many parts of the body, including the joints, lungs and eyes.
Causes and risk
No one knows exactly why autoimmune diseases develop, but they are not contagious. They tend to run in families, suggesting certain genes make some people more susceptible, and viruses, certain chemicals and other environmental factors may trigger disease in people who already carry those genes.
Millions of Americans of all ages have an autoimmune disease. Women develop many types much more often than men, and having one autoimmune disease makes another more likely.
Symptoms
Symptoms depend on the part of the body affected. Many autoimmune diseases cause the signs of inflammation — redness, swelling, heat and pain — though other illnesses can too. Symptoms can come and go: during a flare-up they may be severe for a while, followed by a remission, when they improve or disappear for a time.
Why diagnosis is difficult
Autoimmune diseases are often hard to diagnose. There is usually no single test for a particular disease, many share similar symptoms, and some symptoms, such as muscle aches, are common in other illnesses too. It can take a long time and visits to several kinds of doctors. To help:
- learn your family's health history, including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, and share it with your doctor;
- keep track of your symptoms — how long they last and what makes them better or worse — and share your notes; and
- see a specialist for the symptoms that bother you most, such as a dermatologist for a rash.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the disease. Usually the aim is to calm the immune system and ease inflammation, often with corticosteroids or other medicines. Some diseases need treatment for life.
Sources
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Autoimmune Diseases": https://medlineplus.gov/autoimmunediseases.html
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