#AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE SYMPTOM CHECKLIST SKIN#

Joints, which can cause joint pain, stiffness and loss of function.

The symptoms you have will depend on the body part (s) affected, such as: Many autoimmune diseases affect more than one part of the body. Most autoimmune diseases cause inflammation, which causes redness, heat, pain, and swelling. Immune cells accidentally target the body's own healthy tissues and signal the body to attack them.Īutoimmune diseases can affect almost any part of the body, including: What happens in autoimmune diseases?Īutoimmune diseases refer to problems with the responses of the acquired immune system.

It tries to identify, kill and eliminate the intruders that could hurt you. For some diseases, you may need treatment for the rest of your life.Your immune system is the network of cells and tissues throughout your body that work together to protect you from viruses, bacteria and infections. Your doctor may give you corticosteroids or other medicines to help you feel better. In most cases, the goal of treatment is to suppress (slow down) your immune system, and ease swelling, redness, and pain from inflammation. What are the treatments for autoimmune diseases? For example, if you have rash, see a dermatologist (skin doctor). See a specialist who deals with the symptoms that bother you most.Keep track of your symptoms, including how long they last and what makes them better or worse.What health problems did your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins have? Write down what you learn and share it with your doctor. Learn about the health conditions in your family history.To help your doctor find out if an autoimmune disease is causing your symptoms,: So it can take a long time and some visits to different types of doctors to get a diagnosis. And some symptoms, such as muscle aches, are common in many other illnesses. That's because many autoimmune diseases have similar symptoms. There's usually not a specific test to show whether you have a certain autoimmune disease. How are autoimmune diseases diagnosed?ĭoctors often have a hard time diagnosing autoimmune diseases. Later on, you may have a remission, which means that your symptoms get better or disappear for a period of time. During a flare-up, your symptoms may get severe for a while. The symptoms of autoimmune diseases can come and go. But other illnesses can cause the same symptoms. Many types of autoimmune diseases cause redness, swelling, heat, and pain, which are the signs and symptoms of inflammation. The symptoms of an autoimmune disease depend on the part of your body that's affected. What are the symptoms of autoimmune diseases? And if you have one autoimmune disease, you are more likely to get another. Women develop many types of autoimmune diseases much more often than men.

Millions of Americans of all ages have autoimmune diseases. Viruses, certain chemicals, and other things in the environment may trigger an autoimmune disease if you already have the genes for it. But you can't catch them from other people.Īutoimmune diseases do tend to run in families, which means that certain genes may make some people more likely to develop a problem. No one is sure why autoimmune diseases happen. And in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system can attack many parts of the body, including the joints, lungs, and eyes. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the pancreas.

#AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE SYMPTOM CHECKLIST SKIN#

For example, alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease of the skin that causes hair loss. They can affect almost any part of your body. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases. If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks the healthy cells of your organs and tissues by mistake. Your immune system can tell that the germs aren't part of you, so it destroys them. Your immune system protects you from disease and infection by attacking germs that get into your body, such as viruses and bacteria.

Autoimmune disease symptom checklist