Autoimmune diseases occur when your immune system mistakenly attacks your body’s own tissues. Normally, your immune system protects you from disease-causing germs like bacteria and viruses. But when you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system gets confused and fails to distinguish foreign invaders from your own cells. It then sends proteins called autoantibodies that target certain tissues in your body, such as your skin and the lining of your joints.
There are over 80 different autoimmune diseases, each of which causes your immune system to attack different parts of your body. The most common autoimmune diseases are Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They affect your pancreas, joints and digestive tract, respectively.
Many autoimmune diseases share the same early symptoms, such as fatigue, achy muscles, swelling and redness, low-grade fever, trouble concentrating and skin rashes. However, individuals suffering from one of these diseases can also have unique symptoms. For example, IBD causes belly pain, bloating and diarrhea. Read more…
