Autoimmune Diseases

by Women's Health Information Center

What are autoimmune diseases?

Our bodies have an immune system that protects us from disease and infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks itself by mistake, and you can get sick. Autoimmune diseases can affect connective tissue in your body (the tissue which binds together body tissues and organs). Autoimmune disease can affect many parts of your body, like your nerves, muscles, endocrine system (system that directs your body's hormones and other chemicals), and digestive system.

Who is at risk for getting autoimmune diseases?

Most autoimmune diseases occur in women, and most often during their childbearing years. Some of these diseases also affect African American, American Indian, and Latina women more than white women. These diseases tend to run in families, so your genes, along with the way your immune system responds to certain triggers or things in the environment, affect your chances of getting one of these diseases. If you think you may have an autoimmune disease, ask your family members if they have had symptoms like yours. The good news is that if you have an autoimmune disease, there ARE things you can do to feel better!

What are the most common symptoms of autoimmune diseases?

There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases. Learning the symptoms of some of the more common autoimmune diseases can help you recognize the signs if you get one. But some autoimmune diseases share similar symptoms. This makes it hard for doctors to find out if you really have one of these diseases, and which one it might be. This can make your trip to doctors long and stressful. But if you are having symptoms that bother you, you need to persist to make sure you get relief. Below are descriptions of some common autoimmune diseases.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (underactive thyroid)

Symptoms: tiredness, depression, sensitivity to cold, weight gain, muscle weakness and cramps, dry hair, tough skin, constipation, sometimes there are no symptoms.

Test: blood test for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).

Graves' disease (overactive thyroid)

Symptoms: insomnia (not able to sleep), irritability, weight loss without dieting, heat sensitivity, sweating, fine brittle hair, weakness in your muscles, light menstrual periods, bulging eyes, shaky hands, sometimes there are no symptoms.

Test: blood test for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).

Lupus

Symptoms: swelling and damage to the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain, "butterfly" rash across the nose and cheeks, rashes on other parts of the body, painful and swollen joints, sensitivity to the sun.

Test: exam of your bodylab tests (antinuclear antibody [ANA] test, blood tests, and urine tests).

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Symptoms: weakness and trouble with coordination, balance, speaking, and walking, paralysis, tremors, numbness and tingling feeling in arms, legs, hands, and feet

Tests: exam of your body, exam of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves (neurological exam), x-ray tests (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and magnetic resonance spectroscopy [MRS]), other tests on the brain and spinal cord fluid to look for things linked to these diseases.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Symptoms: inflammation begins in the tissue lining your joints and then spreads to the whole joint (hand joints are the most common site, but it can affect most joints in the body), muscle pain, deformed joints, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, becoming confined to bed in severe cases.

Test: blood tests may show that you have anemia (when your body does not have enough red blood cells) and an antibody called rheumatoid factor (RF). (Some people with RF never get this disease, and others with the disease never have RF.).

Are chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia autoimmune diseases?

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are not autoimmune diseases, but they often have symptoms - like being tired all the time and pain - that may seem like other autoimmune diseases.

CFS can cause you to be very tired, have trouble concentrating, feel weak, and have muscle pain. Symptoms of CFS come and go. The cause of CFS is not known.

FM is a disorder with symptoms of widespread muscle pain, fatigue (feeling tired and having low energy), and multiple tender points. Tender points are located in the neck, spine, shoulders, hips, and knees and are painful when pressure is applied to them. FM mainly occurs in women of childbearing age, but children, the elderly, and men are sometimes diagnosed with FM. The cause is not known.

What are flare ups?

Symptoms of autoimmune diseases can come and go, ranging in how bad they are, or all go away for a while (called remission). Flare-ups, or the sudden and severe onset of symptoms, can also happen. It's best to work closely and often with your doctor and other members of your health care team to manage your illness. If you have a flare-up, it is best to first call your doctor. Don't try a "cure" you heard about from a friend or relative.

About the Author

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