AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

Have you ever heard about invasion in your country by own soldiers who are suppose to safeguard the Nation. these solider's are some misguided lads who by mistake have forgotten the area of their very own country, and have declared a war against own land.In the same way the soldiers inside our body our "Immune System" by mistakenly attack own body invading and harming tissues ,organs  and joints .Normally the immune system safeguard our body against germs like bacteria and viruses.when it sense foreign invaders,it sends out an army to attack them.Normally the immune system can tell the difference between foreign cells and our own cells. In this infirmity a protein called as "Autoantibodies" are released that attack healthy cells.
                         

               
          Autoimmune disease can affect any part of body,however more then 80 autoimmune diseases have been discovered. Autoimmune diseases harms organ as well resulting in Type 1 diabetes which damages the pancreas, other are multiple sclerosis, lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis, while the other diseases are rare and difficult to diagnose.

CAUSE OF AUTOIMMUNE SYSTEM :

• Till now the cause of immune misfire is Unknown ,yet some people are more likely to get autoimmune disease then others.
• White Blood Cells also known as LEUKOCYTES which are responsible to fight against the Foreign antigens that enters the body, however there are certain part of WBC'S called as T-Lymphocytes (T-Cells) are cells which are developed from the stem cells inside the bone marrow . 
• Various research show that Histological samples of autopsy provided the best available evidence that autoreactive T-cells are involved in Immunopathogenesis  of many autoimmune disease they can act as both Regulatory and Effector cells.
•  Conditions plays a very crucial role in initiating a situation towards autoimmune disease like an event of infection,stress,medication,diet,and even ultraviolet radiations can trigger or accelerate the way to autoimmune disease.
• Women are more prone to autoimmune disease then men because women is carrier of 2 X Chromosomes which has many genes relating to immune system that's the main reason of autoimmune disease more prominent in women .Women are healthier and live longer then men,but are less susceptible to infectious disease,But on the other hand 80% of the individual suffering from autoimmune diseases are women.    

• A western diet is another susceptible target to this disease eating High Fat, High Sugar and Highly Processed Food are linked to Inflammation which might switch off immune system.

• Too much usage of Vaccines and Antiseptics children are not much expose to the germs as they were there in the past.the lack of exposure could make the immune system Overreact to harmless substances.
• An autoimmune disease may result in the destruction of body tissues,abnormal growth of an organ and also alter the function of the organ.
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TYPES AND SYMPTOMS OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE :

There are more den 80 types of autoimmune disease found out of which the most common types are listed below ,whereas it is not important that only one disease  might target the individual many times it has been observed that a person may suffer from 2 or more then 2 autoimmune disease together.

1 . Type 1 Diabetes

The pancreas produces INSULIN hormone,which help regulating blood sugar levels.In Type 1 Diabetes the immune system attack and destroy insulin producing cells in the pancreas as a result High blood Sugar can damage blood vessels and affect organs like Heart,Kidney,Eyes and Nerves causing multi organ failure as well.

2  . Psoriasis 

In this condition Skin cells normally grows and the shed when they no longer needed.Psoriasis causes skin cells to multiply too quickly.the extra skin form red , scaly patches on the skin, In this situation the overactive T-cells are all collected over the skin surface which results in shedding of skin cells .over 30% people who suffer from psoriasis tend to develop swelling, stiffness and pain in their joints this form a disease called as Psoriatic Arthritis.

3  . Rheumatoid Arthritis

In this disease the immune system attacks the joints which results in redness,warmth,soreness and stiffness in the joints.unlike osteoarthritis in which the pain occurs as the people get older,whereas rheumatoid arthritis will occur at a very early age like 30's .

4  . Multiple Sclerosis

In this autoimmune disease the Myelin sheath  is damaged which serves as a protective coating around the Nerve cells. Damage to the myelin sheath may hamper the transmission of signals between your Brain and Body.this damage can lead to issues like numbness, weakness and Balance Issues and trouble walking sometimes the condition becomes so bad that the person would not be able to walk over a period of 15yrs after getting affected by disease.

5  . Lupus

Lupus in 1800 were said as skin disease because of the Rashes it produces,but later on it was discovered that lupus develop autoimmune antibodies that can attach to every tissues throughout the body.The joints,Blood cells,Nerve cells and kidney are commonly affected in lupus.

6  . Inflammatory Bowel disease 

IBD is a condition which provide inflammation in the lining of the intestines each type of IBD effects different part of the GI tract. IBD cause episodes of Diarrhoea, Rectal bleeding ,Urgent bowel movements, Abdominal pain, Fever and Weight loss. oral or inject able immune suppressing medications are administered.  

7  . Graves Disease

Graves disease is condition in which the Thyroid gland is under attack causing it produce too much of its hormones ,thyroid hormones are responsible to control body energy usage or Metabolism. Having too much of these hormones revs up body activities like causing symptoms like accelerated heart beat,nervousness,heat intolerance,and weight loss.    

8  . Addison's Disease

Addison's disease affects the Adrenal glands, which produces the hormone's Cortisol and Aldosterone . In this disease person who is suffering will feel Weakness ,Fatigue , Weight loss , and low Blood sugar.If the body produces less of these two hormones it can effect the way body uses and stores carbohydrate and sugar.

9  . Hashimoto's Thyroiditis 

In this disease Antibodies produced by the immune system attack Thyroid gland, Slowly destroying cells that produce thyroid hormones.Low levels of the hormones develops HYPOTHYROIDISM.

Symptoms include Weight gain, Hair loss , Fatigue , Sensitivity to Cold , Swelling of Thyroid gland and Depression.     

10  . Myasthenia Gravis 

In this kind of disease the antibodies bind to the nerve cells unable to stimulate the muscles properly.

weakness that get worse with the activity is the main symptom and condition improves when proper rest is taken.Often muscles of facial and swallowing are involved in this condition .Mestinon is the main medication taken by patients.

11  . Pernicious Anaemia

This condition affects a protein called as Intrinsic Factor  that helps the intestine absorb Vitamin B12 from food. Lack of this vitamin the body cannot make enough Red Blood Cells. This a very common conditions in older adults .

12  . Celiac Disease 

People with celiac  conditions cant eat food items which contains GLUTEN which is protien found in wheat,rye and other food grains. When gluten reaches intestine,the immune system attacks it causing Inflammation which causes abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE SYMPTOMS  :

The early stage of autoimmune disease are very common :

• Achy muscles
• swelling and redness
• low grade fever
• Trouble concentrating
• Numbness and tingling in the Hand
• Skin rashes
• Hair loss

Individual disease can also have their unique symptoms.example Type 1 diabetes causes extreme thirst,weight loss and fatigue . IBD causes belly pain , bloating , and diarrhoea.

TEST THAT DIAGNOSE AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

No single test can detect autoimmune disease, Consultant will use combination of test to detect the particular autoimmune disease an assessment to get into a conclusion.

The Antinuclear Antibody Test (ANA) is often the first test that the doctor ask the patients do go for the detection of  autoimmune disease, If the test is positive patient is likely to have one of the autoimmune diseases.The other test look for specific antibody to detect for specific autoimmune disease. The bottom line is  a  positive ANA test can show that you have an autoimmune disease.Your doctor can use your symptoms  and other tests to confirm the diagnosis. 

TREATING AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

• Check for the common infections like yeast, bacteria , viruses , Lyme etc and get treated by help of a Doctor.
• Check for hidden food allergens with IgG for testing and also try changes with diet which will help with the eliminating most food allergens .
• Get tested for celiac disease, with the help of blood test which a doctor can do.
• Get checked for Heavy metal Toxicity, metals like mercury can cause autoimmune disease.
• Fix your gut i.e Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
• Usage  of  nutrients like Fish oil,Vitamin C , Vitamin D , and Probiotic to help calm your Immunity and response in natural way.
• Exercise Regularly its Anti Inflammatory.
• Practice deep Relaxation like yoga, deep breathing , massage to relax because stress worsen immune response. 

                                                                                                                                        BY: Ria Pani