Autoimmune diseases affect your immune system, which defends you from infections and diseases. When the immune system gets confused, it attacks healthy tissues instead of. This can be due to various reasons, including heredity, genetics and environmental factors.
Genetics play a significant role in some immune-mediated diseases, while others may be caused by environmental triggers such as exposure to certain toxins or drugs. Researchers are trying to determine the causes of these diseases in order to one day be cured or prevented.
Diagnostic and Symptoms
The symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases vary depending on what part of your body is affected however, they could all be indications of inflammation (redness, heat, pain, and swelling). They may also be accompanied by fatigue or a lack of energy. Some can cause muscle aches and thyroid issues, weight gain, anxiety as well as heart palpitations and even heart attacks.
Multiple tests are used to identify autoimmune diseases. These tests include blood tests as well as skin tests that look for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) antibodies that are produced by patients with these conditions. They also conduct physical examinations to detect signs of the condition.
Each patient is treated individually. The drugs that inhibit the immune system include corticosteroids and non-steroid drugs like mycophenolate, azathioprine and cyclophospham mofetil, sirolimus or tacrolimus.
Autoimmune disorders can be caused by one defect in the gene. They are also known as monogenic autoimmune disorders.
The genes involved in these conditions are generally extremely complex and aren’t known for sure. But in a few cases, scientists are working to determine which genes are involved and how they interact.
There are studies that show that some genes increase your risk of developing autoimmune diseases. These genes have only a small impact on the risk of developing autoimmune diseases, so they don’t cause them.
Environment and Heredity
Many illnesses that cause autoimmune disease are genetic, meaning they occur in families. Other factors, such as the food you eat, could be a contributing factor to autoimmune diseases.
Coeliac disease can be caused by eating excessive amounts of wheat. It could also increase your chances of developing type 1 diabetes.
Women are more susceptible to developing autoimmune conditions than men. This is because women are more prone than men to gluten, which can be found in wheat and other grains.
Children’s autoimmune diseases are prevalent, and can result in serious complications. These diseases include scleroderma, Lupus, and can affect the skin, bones and joints.
These diseases can be life-threatening, as they can cause damage to your kidneys, heart, lungs and liver. Other autoimmune diseases can affect the nervous system and cause issues with coordination, thinking and sight.
These diseases affect people of all ages and races and are more prevalent in certain groups, such as white people as well as those with African-American or Hispanic backgrounds.
The causes of autoimmune diseases are not yet fully understood, but they seem to be linked to genetics, the immune system of your body, and the environment. Since the autoimmune diseases affect so many different body parts they can be difficult to identify and treat.
