What are an autoimmune diseases?

Dr Maxwell Adeyemi

AUTOIMMUNE diseases result when your immune system is overactive, causing it to attack and damage your body's own tissues.

Normally, your immune system creates proteins called antibodies that work to protect you against harmful substances such as viruses, cancer cells and toxins. But with autoimmune disorders, your immune system cannot tell the difference between invaders and healthy cells.

There are more than 100 different autoimmune diseases, which together affect people across the globe. It's not clear exactly what causes or triggers them.

Types of autoimmune diseases

Rheumatoid arthritis. The immune system produces antibodies that attach to the linings of your joints. Immune-system cells then attack the joints, causing inflammation, swelling and pain. If left untreated, RA gradually causes permanent joint damage.

Systemic lupus erythematosus. When you have lupus, you develop autoimmune antibodies that can attach to tissues throughout your body. This disease most often attacks your joints, lungs, blood cells, nerves and kidneys.

Inflammatory bowel disease. The immune system attacks the lining of your intestines, causing bouts of diarrhoea, rectal bleeding, urgent bowel movements, abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the two main forms of this condition.

Multiple sclerosis. Your immune system attacks nerve cells, causing symptoms that may include pain, blindness, weakness, poor co-ordination and muscle spasms.

Type 1 diabetes. In this condition, the antibodies attack and destroy insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. People with type 1 diabetes need insulin shots to survive.

Guillain-Barre syndrome. Here your immune system attacks the nerves controlling the muscles in your legs and sometimes those in your arms and upper body. This leads to weakness, which can sometimes be serious.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Similar to Guillain-Barre, this disease also involves the immune system attacking the nerves. But the symptoms last much longer. If it's not treated early, about 30 per cent of people with this condition will eventually need to use a wheelchair.

Psoriasis. When you have psoriasis, immune system blood cells called T-cells collect in your skin. Your immune system stimulates skin cells to reproduce quickly, producing silvery, scaly plaques on your skin.

Graves' disease. In this disease, your immune system produces antibodies that cause your thyroid gland to release too much thyroid hormone into your blood (hyperthyroidism). Symptoms can include bulging eyes, weight loss, nervousness, irritability, rapid heart rate, weakness and brittle hair.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Antibodies from your immune system attack your thyroid gland, slowly destroying the cells that produce thyroid hormone. You develop low levels of thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism), usually over months to years. Symptoms may include fatigue, constipation, weight gain, depression, dry skin and sensitivity to cold.

Myasthenia gravis. Antibodies bind to your nerves and make them unable to stimulate your muscles properly. The main symptom is weakness that gets worse with activity myasthenia gravis.

Scleroderma. Also known as systemic sclerosis, this chronic connective disease causes inflammation in your skin and other places in your body. As a result, your body makes too much collagen. This leads to visible hardening of the skin and damage to your blood vessels and organs, such as your heart, lungs and kidneys.

Vasculitis. In this group of autoimmune diseases, your immune system attacks and damages blood vessels. Vasculitis can affect any organ, so symptoms vary widely and can happen almost anywhere in your body.

Causes of autoimmune diseases

The exact causes of autoimmune diseases are unknown, but scientists have some theories on what triggers them:

Certain medications. Some drugs may cause changes in your body that confuse your immune system. Talk to your doctor about the side effects of statins, antibiotics and blood pressure medications in particular.

Genetics. Some autoimmune diseases run in families, so you're at higher risk if your family has a history of them. People who have certain genes may also be more likely to have autoimmune disorders. While genes do play a role, they aren't enough to cause an autoimmune disease on their own.

Infections. Microorganisms like viruses and bacteria could set off changes that make your immune system attack itself. This may be more likely if you're genetically prone to immune system disease.

Certain risk factors raise your chances of getting an autoimmune disorder. These may include: Smoking, exposure to toxins, such as air pollution or hazardous chemicals, female gender (78 per cent of people with an autoimmune disease are women), obesity.

Symptoms of autoimmune diseases

While signs of autoimmune diseases differ depending on the type and location of the condition you have, some symptoms that are common to many include:

Fatigue

Frequent fevers

A general sick feeling

Joint pain and swelling

Skin problems, such as redness or rashes

Stomach pain or digestion issues

Swollen glands.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis may take time and several different kinds of tests to confirm. The symptoms of many autoimmune diseases look like those of other conditions, so it can take months or even years to get the right diagnosis.

Blood tests

Autoantibody screen looks for antibodies that are attacking your own tissues (autoantibodies)

Antinuclear antibody test (ANA)

Complete blood count (CBC)

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)

Comprehensive metabolic panel

C-reactive protein (CRP)

Urinalysis

Imaging

Ultrasounds and X-rays can reveal joint issues.

MRIs can show damage deep in your body.

Treatment

Medication

Your doctor can prescribe different medications depending on the type of autoimmune disorder you have, how serious it is, and what your symptoms are.

Some drugs they may use to tamp down an overactive immune reaction include:

Steroids. These work quickly and effectively to lessen your immune system's overactive response.

Anti-inflammatory drugs. These control the immune system while still supporting organ function. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) help ease pain, swelling and stiffness.

Then there are drugs and treatments to help manage symptoms depending on what symptoms the patient has and the severity.

Lifestyle changes. Aside from medications, doctors often suggest shifts in personal habits as part of treatment. Exercise or physical therapy are common for autoimmune diseases that affect your muscles, such as myositis and multiple sclerosis. For those with autoimmune diseases that affect blood vessels, quitting smoking can help.

Contact Dr Maxwell at 3631807 or 7575411