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When the body attacks and damages its own tissues

- 2022-08-03 00:00:00

In cases of immune system overactivity, the body attacks and damages its own tissues (autoimmune diseases). Immune deficiency diseases decrease the body's ability to fight invaders, causing vulnerability to infections.
In response to an unknown trigger, the immune system may begin producing antibodies that instead of fighting infections, attack the body's own tissues. Treatment for autoimmune diseases generally focuses on reducing immune system activity. Examples of autoimmune diseases include:
Rheumatoid arthritis - The immune system produces antibodies that attach to the linings of joints. Immune system cells then attack the joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and pain. If untreated, rheumatoid arthritis causes gradually causes permanent joint damage.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) - People with lupus develop autoimmune antibodies that can attach to tissues throughout the body. The joints, lungs, blood cells, nerves, and kidneys are commonly affected in lupus.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - The immune system attacks the lining of the intestines, causing episodes of diarrhea, rectal bleeding, urgent bowel movements, abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the two major forms of IBD.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) - The immune system attacks nerve cells, causing symptoms that can include pain, blindness, weakness, poor coordination, and muscle spasms.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus - Immune system antibodies attack and destroy insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. At diagnosis, people with type 1 diabetes require insulin injections to survive.
Guillain-Barre syndrome - The immune system attacks the nerves controlling muscles in the legs and sometimes the arms and upper body. Weakness results, which can sometimes be severe.
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy - Similar to Guillain-Barre, the immune system also attacks the nerves in CIDP, but symptoms last much longer. About 30% of patients can become confined to a wheelchair if not diagnosed and treated early.
Psoriasis - In psoriasis, immune system blood cells called T-cells collect in the skin. The immune system activity stimulates skin cells to reproduce rapidly, producing silvery, scaly plaques on the skin.
Graves' disease - The immune system produces antibodies that stimulate the thyroid gland to release excess amounts of thyroid hormone into the blood (hyperthyroidism). Symptoms of Graves' disease can include bulging eyes as well as weight loss, nervousness, irritability, rapid heart rate, weakness, and brittle hair.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis - Antibodies produced by the immune system attack the thyroid gland, slowly destroying the cells that produce thyroid hormone. Low levels of thyroid hormone develop (hypothyroidism), usually over months to years. Symptoms include fatigue, constipation, weight gain, depression, dry skin, and sensitivity to cold.
Myasthenia gravis - Antibodies bind to nerves and make them unable to stimulate muscles properly. Weakness that gets worse with activity is the main symptom of myasthenia gravis.
Scleroderma - Also known as systemic sclerosis, it is an autoimmune chronic connective disease that causes inflammation in the skin and other places in the body. This inflammation causes the body to make too much collagen, which leads to visible hardening of the skin and damage to your blood vessels and other internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys.
Vasculitis - The immune system attacks and damages blood vessels in this group of autoimmune diseases. Vasculitis can affect any organ, so symptoms vary widely and can occur almost anywhere in the body. Source: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/autoimmune-diseases
STATS
• Researchers have identified between 80 and 100 different autoimmune diseases.
• These autoimmune diseases are usually chronic and may be life-threatening.
• Researchers also suspect that at least another 40 diseases have an autoimmune basis.
• Autoimmune diseases are one of the 10 leading causes of death for girls and women in all age groups (up to 64 years of age).
Did you know?
Stress
A new study has raised the possibility that stress may cause autoimmune disease, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, because it found a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases among people who were previously diagnosed with stress-related disorders.
Health tip
Use nutrients such as fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin D and probiotics.
Health precaution tip
Practice deep relaxation like yoga, deep breathing and massage.
See a doctor who will use tests, review your symptoms, and conduct a physical examination to reach a diagnosis.