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A disease when the immune system attacks healthy cells as if they were foreign bodies, leaving the person vulnerable. If left untreated, damage to healthy tissues can lead to other serious health problems. Scientists have identified more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, and we don’t fully understand their causes.¹
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The immune system creates antibodies that attack the tissues that line the joints. It commonly affects the hands. Joints become stiff, painful, warm, and red. This can make simple tasks like walking or holding a fork very difficult. Oral and injectable treatments are available. Left untreated, the joint damage can be permanent.
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Immune system antibodies attack various tissues throughout the body, including in the lungs, kidneys, nerves, joints, and blood cells. Symptoms like joint pain, fever, skin rash, chest pain, hair loss, and fatigue can be easily mistaken for something else, making lupus notoriously difficult to recognize. There are several different types of lupus, most of which involve occasional “flare-ups” of symptoms.
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IBD is an umbrella term for diseases in which the immune system attacks healthy bowel tissue. There are two main forms of IBD: – Crohn’s Disease: Inflammation and damage can occur in tissues throughout the GI tract. Diarrhea, cramps, bloody stool, weight loss, and some ulcers may occur. – Ulcerative Colitis: Damage only occurs in the tissues that line the colon and rectum. Ulcers may cause bloody stool, abdominal pain, rectal pain, weight loss, and fever.
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Immune-related inflammation causes new skin cells to grow much faster than normal. This leads to the formation of thick, scaly patches known as plaques. The most obvious symptom is the appearance of scaly plaques, which often itch. The plaques may also crack and bleed. An outbreak of psoriasis may be triggered by stress, medication, infection, or other damage to the skin’s surface.
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The immune system attacks the sheath that protects nerve cells. This slows down the transmission speed of signals throughout the central nervous system. Symptoms include weakness, trouble balancing, numbness, difficulty walking, and fatigue. As the disease progresses, symptoms worsen. Within 15 years, approximately 50% of MS patients are unable to walk on their own.²
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Watch for the following symptoms, especially if they seem to be increasing in frequency or severity: – Fatigue – Pain and swelling in the joints – Digestion problems and abdominal pain – Fever (recurring) – Skin problems, such as rashes
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https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000816.htm#:~:text=The%20exact %20cause%20of%20autoimmune,more%20prone%20to%20autoimmun e%20disorders https://www.healthline.com/health/autoimmune-disorders#commonautoimmune-diseases