Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases are a relatively broad range of related diseases in which the human immune system produces an inappropriate response against its own cells, tissues or organs resulting in inflammation and damage. Currently, over 80 different diseases are classified as autoimmune diseases and these illnesses range in complexity and frequency from common diseases to extremely rare medical conditions. In general, autoimmune diseases affect mainly one part of the body but some can affect many parts of the body such rheumatoid arthritis and systemic vasculitis.

Autoimmune diseases can be both common and rare
Worldwide, autoimmune diseases influence the life of 1 in 20 people. The most common autoimmune diseases include thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. These diseases occur in more than 1 in 100 people. In contrast, the rare autoimmune diseases such as Goodpasture's disease affect around 1 in a million people.

Despite the rates at which medical advances are progressing, the reasons as to why autoimmune diseases occur remain unclear. In many cases, it appears that there is some inherited tendency to develop autoimmune diseases. Other factors including infections and some drugs may also play a role in triggering the autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases can affect anyone but some people are at greater risk including the following classes of people.

It is also a fact that more women than men have autoimmune diseases.
People with a family history. Some autoimmune diseases run in families including multiple sclerosis. It is also common for different types of autoimmune diseases to affect different members of a single family.
People who are exposed to dangerous substances in the environment. Certain events or environmental exposures can sometimes trigger autoimmune diseases or make them worse. These include prolonged exposure to sunlight, solvents and viral and bacterial infections.
People of certain races. Indeed, some autoimmune diseases are more common in certain groups of people than others. For instance, type 1 diabetes is more common in white people. Lupus is most severe in African-American people.

Autoimmune diseases are usually diagnosed by medical specialists using a combination of clinical history, blood tests and other methods of investigations such as x-rays.
Autoimmune diseases list
Worldwide, over 80 different autoimmune diseases exist but these diseases can be grouped into two general types or categories and these include:

Localized or organ specific autoimmune diseases

Systemic autoimmune diseases

These categories may sometimes overlap.

Localized or organ specific autoimmune diseases
Localized autoimmune diseases affect a single organ or tissue. The effects can however extend to other body systems and organs. Organ-specific medical specialists such as Endocrinologists, Neurologists or Rheumatologists often manage these diseases.

Organ specific autoimmune diseases include:

Addison's disease
Autoimmune hepatitis
Coeliac disease
Diabetes Mellitus Type 1a
Grave's disease
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Multiple sclerosis
Pernicious anemia
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Ulcerative colitis of the gastrointestinal tract
Systemic autoimmune diseases
Systemic autoimmune diseases can affect many body organs and tissues at the same time. They can be broadly classified into rheumatological and vasculitis. Immunologists and Rheumatologists often manage these diseases.

The rheumatological diseases

Antiphospholipid antibody syndromes that affects the blood cells
Dermatomyositis of the skin and muscles
Mixed connective tissue disease
Polymyalgia rheumatica of the large muscle groups
Primary Raynaud's disease
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatoid arthritis affecting the joints, less commonly the lungs and skin
Scleroderma
Sjögren's syndrome
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus affecting the skin, joints, kidneys, red blood calls and sometimes the heart.
Rheumatologist usually cares for these diseases.

So thankful for all I can do...