Our body's immune system is a complex network of special organs and cells that protect our body from foreign agents. The core of the immune system is the ability to distinguish “self” from “non-self.” Sometimes a malfunction occurs in the body that prevents it from recognizing the markers of “its own” cells, and antibodies begin to be produced that mistakenly attack certain cells of its own body.

At the same time, regulatory T cells cannot cope with their job of maintaining the functions of the immune system, and their own cells begin to attack. This leads to damage that is known as autoimmune diseases. The type of injury determines which organ or part of the body is affected. More than eighty types of such diseases are known.

How common are autoimmune diseases?

Unfortunately, they are quite widespread. They affect more than 23.5 million people in our country alone, and this is one of the main causes of death and disability. There are rare diseases, but there are also those that affect many people, such as Hashimoto's disease.

To learn how the human immune system works, watch the video:

Who can get sick?

An autoimmune disease can affect anyone. However, there are groups of people at greatest risk:

• Women of childbearing age. Women are more likely than men to suffer from autoimmune diseases that begin during reproductive age.
• Those who have had similar diseases in their family. Some autoimmune diseases are genetic (eg. ). Often different types of autoimmune diseases develop in several members of the same family. Hereditary predisposition plays a role, but other factors can also trigger the disease.
• The presence of certain substances in the environment. Certain situations or harmful environmental influences can cause some autoimmune diseases or worsen existing ones. These include: active sun, chemicals, viral and bacterial infections.
• People of a particular race or ethnicity. For example, type 1 diabetes primarily affects white people. Systemic lupus erythematosus is more severe in African Americans and Hispanics.

What autoimmune diseases affect women and what are their symptoms?

The diseases listed here are more common in women than in men.

Although each case is unique, the most common marker symptoms are weakness, dizziness and low-grade fever. Many autoimmune diseases have transient symptoms that can vary in severity. When symptoms go away for a while, it is called remission. They alternate with unexpected and profound manifestations of symptoms - outbreaks, or exacerbations.

Types of autoimmune diseases and their symptoms

Are Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Autoimmune Diseases?

What to do with exacerbations (attacks)?

Exacerbations are sudden and severe onset of symptoms. You may notice certain “triggers” - stress, hypothermia, exposure to open sun, which increase the manifestation of symptoms of the disease. By knowing these factors and following a treatment plan, you and your doctor can help prevent or reduce flare-ups. If you feel an attack coming on, call your doctor. Don't try to cope on your own using advice from friends or relatives.

What to do to feel better?

If you have an autoimmune disease, constantly follow a few simple rules, do this every day, and your health will be stable:

• Nutrition should take into account the nature of the disease. Make sure to eat enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or low-fat dairy products and plant proteins. Limit saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and excess sugar. If you follow the principles of a healthy diet, then you will get all the necessary substances from food.
• Exercise regularly and moderately. Talk to your doctor about what kind of physical activity is right for you. A gradual and gentle exercise program works well for people with long-term muscle and joint pain. Some forms of yoga and tai chi may help.
• Get enough rest. Rest allows tissues and joints to recover. Sleep is the best way to rest for the body and brain. If you don't get enough sleep, your stress levels and symptom severity increase. When you're well-rested, you solve your problems more effectively and reduce your risk of illness. Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep every day to rest.
• Avoid frequent stress. Stress and anxiety can cause flare-ups of some autoimmune diseases. Therefore, you need to look for ways to optimize your life in order to cope with daily stress and improve your condition. Meditation, self-hypnosis, visualization, and simple relaxation techniques will help relieve stress, reduce pain, and cope with other aspects of your life with the disease. You can learn this from tutorials, videos or with the help of an instructor. Join a support group or talk to a psychologist for help reducing stress and managing your illness.

You have the power to reduce pain! Try using these images for 15 minutes, two or three times every day:

1. Turn on your favorite soothing music.
2. Sit in your favorite chair or on the sofa. If you are at work, you can sit back and relax in your chair.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Imagine your pain or discomfort.
5. Imagine something that opposes this pain and watch as your pain is “destroyed.”

Which doctor should I contact?

If one or more of the listed symptoms appears, it would be better to consult a general practitioner or family doctor. After examination and initial diagnosis, the patient is referred to a specialized specialist depending on the affected organs and systems. This could be a dermatologist, trichologist, hematologist, rheumatologist, hepatologist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, neurologist, gynecologist (for miscarriage). Additional assistance will be provided by a nutritionist, psychologist, and psychotherapist. Consultation with a geneticist is often necessary, especially when planning pregnancy.

Autoimmune diseases are a large group of diseases that can be combined on the basis that their development involves an immune system aggressive against its own body.

The causes of almost all autoimmune diseases are still unknown.

Given the huge variety autoimmune diseases, as well as their manifestations and the nature of their course, these diseases are studied and treated by a variety of specialists. Which ones exactly depend on the symptoms of the disease. So, for example, if only the skin suffers (pemphigoid, psoriasis), a dermatologist is needed, if the lungs (fibrosing alveolitis, sarcoidosis) - a pulmonologist, joints (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis) - a rheumatologist, etc.

However, there are systemic autoimmune diseases when different organs and tissues are affected, for example, systemic vasculitis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, or the disease “goes beyond” one organ: for example, with rheumatoid arthritis, not only joints, but also skin can be affected, kidneys, lungs. In such situations, most often the disease is treated by a doctor whose specialization is related to the most striking manifestations of the disease, or by several different specialists.

The prognosis of the disease depends on many reasons and varies greatly depending on the type of disease, its course and the adequacy of the therapy.

Treatment of autoimmune diseases is aimed at suppressing the aggressiveness of the immune system, which no longer distinguishes between “our own and someone else’s.” Medicines aimed at reducing the activity of immune inflammation are called immunosuppressants. The main immunosuppressants are Prednisolone (or its analogues), cytostatics (Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, Azathioprine, etc.) and monoclonal antibodies, which act most specifically on individual parts of inflammation.

Many patients often ask questions: how can one suppress their own immune system? How can I live with “bad” immunity? It is not possible to suppress the immune system in autoimmune diseases, but it is necessary. The doctor always weighs what is more dangerous: the disease or the treatment, and only then makes a decision. So, for example, with autoimmune thyroiditis there is no need to suppress the immune system, but with systemic vasculitis (for example, microscopic polyangitis) it is simply vital.

People live with suppressed immunity for many years. At the same time, the frequency of infectious diseases increases, but this is a kind of “payment” for treating the disease.

Patients are often interested in whether they can take immunomodulators. There are different types of immunomodulators, most of them are contraindicated for people suffering from autoimmune diseases, however, some drugs may be useful in certain situations, for example, intravenous immunoglobulins.

Systemic autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases often present diagnostic difficulties, require special attention from doctors and patients, are very different in their manifestations and prognosis, and, nevertheless, most of them are successfully treated.

This group includes diseases of autoimmune origin that affect two or more organ systems and tissues, for example, muscles and joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, etc. Some forms of the disease become systemic only as the disease progresses, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, while others immediately affect many organs and tissues. As a rule, systemic autoimmune diseases are treated by rheumatologists, but such patients can often be found in the departments of nephrology and pulmonology.

Major systemic autoimmune diseases:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus;
• systemic sclerosis (scleroderma);
• polymyositis and dermapolymyositis;
• antiphospholipid syndrome;
• rheumatoid arthritis (does not always have systemic manifestations);
• Sjögren's syndrome;
• Behçet's disease;
• systemic vasculitis (this is a group of different individual diseases, united on the basis of a symptom such as vascular inflammation).

Autoimmune diseases primarily affecting the joints

These diseases are treated by rheumatologists. Sometimes these diseases can affect several different organs and tissues at once:

• Rheumatoid arthritis;
• spondyloarthropathy (a group of different diseases united on the basis of a number of common symptoms).

Autoimmune diseases of the endocrine system

This group of diseases includes autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), Graves' disease (diffuse toxic goiter), type 1 diabetes mellitus, etc.

Unlike many autoimmune diseases, this particular group of diseases does not require immunosuppressive therapy. Most patients are observed by endocrinologists or family doctors (therapists).

Autoimmune blood diseases

Hematologists specialize in this group of diseases. The most well-known diseases are:

• Autoimmune hemolytic anemia;
• thrombocytopenic purpura;
• autoimmune neutropenia.

Autoimmune diseases of the nervous system

A very broad group. Treatment of these diseases is the prerogative of neurologists. The most well-known autoimmune diseases of the nervous system are:

• Multiple (multiple) sclerosis;
• Guillain-Bart syndrome;
• Myasthenia Gravis.

Autoimmune diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract

These diseases are treated, as a rule, by gastroenterologists, less often by general practitioners.

• Autoimmune hepatitis;
• primary biliary cirrhosis;
• primary sclerosing cholangitis;
• Crohn's disease;
• ulcerative colitis;
• celiac disease;
• Autoimmune pancreatitis.

Treatment autoimmune diseases skin is the prerogative of dermatologists. The most well-known diseases are:

• Pemphingoid;
• psoriasis;
• discoid lupus erythematosus;
• isolated cutaneous vasculitis;
• chronic urticaria (urticarial vasculitis);
• some forms of alopecia;
• vitiligo.

Autoimmune kidney diseases

This group of diverse and often serious diseases is studied and treated by both nephrologists and rheumatologists.

• Primary glomerulonephritis and glomerulopathies (a large group of diseases);
• Goodpasture's syndrome;
• systemic vasculitis with kidney damage, as well as other systemic autoimmune diseases with kidney damage.

Autoimmune heart diseases

These diseases are within the scope of activity of both cardiologists and rheumatologists. Some diseases are treated primarily by cardiologists, for example, myocarditis; other diseases - almost always rheumatology (vasculitis with heart damage).

• Rheumatic fever;
• systemic vasculitis with heart damage;
• myocarditis (some forms).

Autoimmune lung diseases

This group of diseases is very extensive. Diseases that affect only the lungs and upper respiratory tract are treated in most cases by pulmonologists; diseases of a systemic nature that affect the lungs are treated by rheumatologists.

• Idiopathic interstitial lung diseases (fibrosing alveolitis);
• pulmonary sarcoidosis;
• systemic vasculitis with lung damage and other systemic autoimmune diseases with lung damage (derma- and polymyositis, scleroderma).

Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome (or simply: autoimmune syndrome) is (even judging by the name) an autoimmune disease, as a result of which endocrine organs are susceptible to damage (and several at once).
Autoimmune syndrome is classified into 3 types:
-1st type: MEDAS syndrome. It is characterized by moniliasis of the skin and mucous membranes, adrenal insufficiency and hypoparathyroidism. Sometimes this type of syndrome leads to diabetes mellitus.
-2nd type: Schmidt syndrome. This type of autoimmune syndrome most often affects women (up to 75% of all cases). This is primarily lymphocytic thyroiditis, the same insufficiency of the adrenal glands, as well as gonads, hypoparathyroidism, and possible type 1 diabetes (rare).
-3rd type. This is the most common type of autoimmune syndrome and it is a combination of pathology of the thyroid gland (diffuse goiter, autoimmune thyroiditis) and pancreas (type 1 diabetes mellitus).

Autoimmune thrombocytopenia is common. This is nothing more than a blood disease and is characterized by the formation of autoimmune antibodies to its own platelets. In this case, the autoimmune system fails for various reasons: due to a lack of vitamins, excessive use of medications, various types of infections, and exposure to various toxins.

Autoimmune thrombocytopenia by its nature is divided into:
-idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpurra (actually autoimmune thrombocytopenia);
- thrombocytopenia in other autoimmune disorders.
The main and most dangerous syndrome of this disease is bleeding (tendency to it) and subsequent anemia. The greatest danger is caused by bleeding into the central nervous system.

To understand how the autoimmune system “works” it is necessary to understand what autoimmune antibodies are. After all, diseases of this type appear only after autoimmune antibodies or, simply put, clones of T cells that are able to come into contact with their own antigens begin to appear in the body. This is where autoimmune damage begins. And this is what leads to damage to one’s own tissues. So, autoimmune antibodies are elements that appear as an autoimmune reaction to the tissues of one’s own body. So everything is simple and clear. This is exactly how the autoimmune system works. Well, strictly speaking, it is clear that an autoimmune lesion is a disease caused by autoimmune antibodies that are directed against the tissues of their native body.

To identify all such diseases, so-called autoimmune tests are done. This is the same as immune tests, only the main difference is that autoimmune tests are carried out to identify autoimmune antibodies and, on the basis of this, a mechanism for treating this type of disease is developed. This is also easy to understand. Autoimmune tests are also based on a “scan” of the patient’s blood.

The treatment mechanisms are very complex and ambiguous, because there is no drug, except one, that would not give dangerous side effects. And this only drug is Transfer Factor. This is a unique drug. And its uniqueness is not only that it does not give any side effects. Its uniqueness also lies in its mechanism of action on our protective functions. But you can find out more about this on other pages of our website. This is a different story.

Autoimmune diseases, according to various sources, affect approximately 8 to 13% of the population of developed countries, and women are most often affected by these diseases. Autoimmune diseases are among the TOP 10 leading causes of death in women under 65 years of age. The branch of medicine that studies the functioning of the immune system and its disorders (immunology) is still in the process of development, as doctors and researchers learn more about the failures and shortcomings in the work of the body’s natural defense system only if it malfunctions.

Our bodies have an immune system, which is a complex network of specialized cells and organs that protect the body from germs, viruses and other pathogens. The immune system is based on a mechanism that is able to distinguish the body's own tissues from foreign ones. Damage to the body can cause the immune system to malfunction, leaving it unable to differentiate between its own tissues and foreign pathogens. When this happens, the body produces autoantibodies that attack normal cells by mistake. At the same time, special cells called regulatory T lymphocytes are unable to do their job of maintaining the immune system. The result is a mistaken attack on the organ tissues of your own body. This causes autoimmune processes that can affect different parts of the body, causing all kinds of autoimmune diseases, of which there are more than 80.

How common are autoimmune diseases?

Autoimmune diseases are a leading cause of death and disability. However, some autoimmune diseases are rare, while others, such as autoimmune thyroiditis, affect many people.

Who suffers from autoimmune diseases?

Autoimmune diseases can develop in anyone, but the following groups of people are at increased risk of developing these diseases:

• Women of childbearing age. Women are much more likely than men to suffer from autoimmune diseases, which often begin during childbearing years.
• People with a family history of the disease. Some autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis, can be passed on from parents to children. It can also be common for different types of autoimmune diseases to run in the same family. Heredity is a risk factor for developing these diseases in people whose ancestors suffered from some type of autoimmune disease, and a combination of genes and factors that can trigger the development of the disease further increases the risk.
• People exposed to certain factors. Certain events or environmental exposures can trigger or worsen some autoimmune diseases. Sunlight, chemicals (solvents), and viral and bacterial infections can trigger the development of many autoimmune diseases.
• People of certain races or ethnicities. Some autoimmune diseases are more common or affect certain groups of people more severely than others. For example, type 1 diabetes is more common in white people. Systemic lupus erythematosus is most severe in African Americans and Hispanics.

Types of autoimmune diseases and their symptoms

The autoimmune diseases listed below are either more common in women than men or affect many women and men at approximately equal rates.

And although each illness is unique, they may have similar symptoms, such as fatigue, dizziness and a slight increase in body temperature. Symptoms of many autoimmune diseases can come and go and range from mild to severe. When symptoms go away for a while, it is called remission, after which there may be sudden and severe flare-ups of symptoms.

Alopecia areata

The immune system attacks the hair follicles (the structures from which hair grows). This disease is usually not a health threat, but it can greatly affect a person's appearance and self-esteem. Symptoms of this autoimmune disease include:

• patchy hair loss on the scalp, face, or other areas of your body

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)

Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disease that causes problems with the lining of blood vessels, resulting in the formation of blood clots (thrombi) in the arteries or veins. Antiphospholipid syndrome can cause the following symptoms:

• formation of blood clots in veins and arteries
• multiple miscarriages
• lacy mesh red rash on wrists and knees

Autoimmune hepatitis

The immune system attacks and destroys liver cells. This can lead to scarring and lumps in the liver and, in some cases, liver failure. Autoimmune hepatitis causes the following symptoms:

• fatigue
• liver enlargement
• itchy skin
• joint pain
• stomach pain or upset stomach

Celiac disease (gluten enteropathy)

This autoimmune disease is characterized by the fact that a person suffers from intolerance to gluten, a substance present in wheat, rye and barley, as well as some medications. When people with celiac disease eat foods that contain gluten, the immune system reacts by damaging the lining of the small intestine. Symptoms of celiac disease include:

• bloating and pain
• diarrhea or constipation
• weight loss or gain
• fatigue
• disruptions in the menstrual cycle
• skin rash and itching
• infertility or miscarriage

Diabetes mellitus type 1

This autoimmune disease is characterized by your immune system attacking the cells that produce insulin, a hormone needed to control blood sugar levels. As a result, your body cannot produce insulin, without which too much sugar remains in the blood. Too much blood sugar can damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves, gums and teeth. But the most serious problem associated with diabetes is heart disease. With type 1 diabetes, patients may experience the following symptoms:

• excessive thirst
• frequent urge to urinate
• strong feeling of hunger
• extreme fatigue
• weight loss for no apparent reason
• slow healing wounds
• dry, itchy skin
• decreased sensation in the legs
• tingling in the legs
• blurry vision

Basedow's disease (Graves' disease)

This autoimmune disease causes the thyroid gland to produce excess amounts of thyroid hormones. Symptoms of Graves' disease include:

• insomnia
• irritability
• weight loss
• heat sensitivity
• increased sweating
• thin brittle hair
• muscle weakness
• irregularities in the menstrual cycle
• goggle-eyed
• shaking hands
• sometimes there are no symptoms

Guillain-Barre syndrome

This is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the nerves that connect your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. Damage to the nerves makes it difficult to transmit signals. Among the symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a person may experience the following:

• weakness or tingling in the legs that may spread to the upper body
• in severe cases paralysis may occur

Symptoms often progress relatively quickly, over days or weeks, and often affect both sides of the body.

Autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease)

A disease that damages the thyroid gland, causing the gland to be unable to produce enough hormones. Symptoms and signs of autoimmune thyroiditis include:

• increased fatigue
• weakness
• overweight (obesity)
• sensitivity to cold
• muscle pain
• joint stiffness
• facial swelling
• constipation

Hemolytic anemia

This is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys red blood cells. In this case, the body is unable to produce new red blood cells quickly enough to meet the body's needs. As a result, your body does not receive the oxygen it needs to function properly, which puts increased strain on the heart as it has to work harder to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Hemolytic anemia causes the following symptoms:

• fatigue
• dyspnea
• dizziness
• cold hands or feet
• pallor
• yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes
• heart problems, including heart failure

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (Werlhof's disease)

This is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys platelets, which are essential for blood clotting. Among the symptoms of this disease, a person may experience the following:

• very heavy periods
• tiny purple or red dots on the skin that may look like a rash
• minor bruising
• bleeding from the nose or mouth

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

This autoimmune disease causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the most common forms of IBD. Symptoms of IBD include:

• stomach pain
• diarrhea (may be bloody)

Some people also experience the following symptoms:

• rectal bleeding
• increase in body temperature
• weight loss
• fatigue
• mouth ulcers (Crohn's disease)
• painful or difficult bowel movements (with ulcerative colitis)

Inflammatory myopathies

This is a group of diseases that cause muscle inflammation and muscle weakness. Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are more common in women than in men. Inflammatory myopathies can cause the following symptoms:

• Slowly progressive muscle weakness, starting in the muscles of the lower body. Polymyositis affects the muscles that control movement on both sides of the body. Dermatomyositis causes a skin rash that may be accompanied by muscle weakness.

You may also experience the following symptoms:

• fatigue after walking or standing
• tripping or falling
• difficulty swallowing or breathing

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

This is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerves. Damage occurs to the brain and spinal cord. A person with MS may experience the following symptoms:

• weakness and problems with coordination, balance, speech and walking
• paralysis
• shaking (tremor)
• numbness and tingling in the limbs
• symptoms vary depending on the location and severity of each attack

Myasthenia gravis

A disease in which the immune system attacks nerves and muscles throughout the body. A person with myasthenia gravis experiences the following symptoms:

• double vision, trouble focusing and drooping eyelids
• trouble swallowing, with frequent belching or choking
• weakness or paralysis
• muscles work better after rest
• problems holding the head
• trouble climbing stairs or lifting things
• speech problems

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)

In this autoimmune disease, the immune system slowly destroys the bile ducts in the liver. Bile is a substance produced in the liver. It passes through the bile ducts to aid digestion. When the channels are destroyed by the immune system, bile accumulates in the liver and causes damage to it. Lesions in the liver harden and leave scars, eventually leading to liver failure. Symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis include:

• fatigue
• itchy skin
• dry eyes and mouth
• yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes

Psoriasis

It is an autoimmune disease that causes excessive and excessive growth of new skin cells, causing huge layers of skin cells to accumulate on the surface of the skin. A person with psoriasis experiences the following symptoms:

• dense red patches on the skin covered with scales (usually appear on the head, elbows and knees)
• itching and pain, which can negatively affect a person’s performance and impair sleep

A person with psoriasis may also suffer from the following:

• A form of arthritis that often affects the joints and ends of the fingers and toes. Back pain can occur if the spine is affected.

Rheumatoid arthritis

This is a disease in which the immune system attacks the lining of joints throughout the body. With rheumatoid arthritis, a person may experience the following symptoms:

• pain, stiffness, swelling and deformity of the joints
• deterioration in motor function

A person may also have the following symptoms:

• fatigue
• elevated body temperature
• weight loss
• eye inflammation
• lung diseases
• growths under the skin, often on the elbows
• anemia

Scleroderma

It is an autoimmune disease that causes abnormal growth of connective tissue in the skin and blood vessels. Symptoms of scleroderma are:

• fingers and toes turn white, red, or blue due to exposure to heat and cold
• pain, stiffness, and swelling of fingers and joints
• thickening of the skin
• the skin looks shiny on the hands and forearms
• facial skin is stretched like a mask
• sores on fingers or toes
• problems with swallowing
• weight loss
• diarrhea or constipation
• dyspnea

Sjögren's syndrome

This is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the tear and salivary glands. With Sjögren's syndrome, a person may experience the following symptoms:

• dry eyes
• eyes itch
• dry mouth, which can lead to ulceration
• problems with swallowing
• loss of taste
• severe dental caries
• hoarse voice
• fatigue
• joint swelling or joint pain
• swollen tonsils
• cloudy eyes

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, Libman-Sachs disease)

A disease that can damage joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs and other parts of the body. The following symptoms are observed in SLE:

• increase in body temperature
• weight loss
• hair loss
• mouth ulcers
• fatigue
• butterfly-shaped rash on the nose and cheeks
• rashes on other parts of the body
• painful or swollen joints and muscle pain
• sun sensitivity
• chest pain
• headache, dizziness, seizure, memory problems, or change in behavior

Vitiligo

It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the pigment cells in the skin (which give color to the skin). The immune system can also attack tissues in the mouth and nose. Symptoms of vitiligo include:

• white patches on sun-exposed areas of the skin or on the armpits, genitals, and rectum
• early gray hair
• loss of color in the mouth

Are Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Autoimmune Diseases?

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia are not autoimmune diseases. But they often have signs of some autoimmune diseases, such as constant fatigue and pain.

• CFS can cause extreme fatigue and lack of energy, difficulty concentrating and muscle pain. Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome come and go. The cause of CFS is not known.
• Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain or excessive tenderness in many places throughout the body. These “pressure points” are located on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms and legs and are painful when pressure is applied to them. Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include fatigue, trouble sleeping, and morning joint stiffness. Fibromyalgia primarily affects women of childbearing age. However, in rare cases, children, older adults and men can also develop this disease. The cause of fibromyalgia is not known.

How do I know if I have an autoimmune disease?

Getting a diagnosis can be a long and stressful process. Although each autoimmune disease is unique, many of these diseases have similar symptoms. In addition, many symptoms of autoimmune diseases are very similar to other types of health problems. This makes diagnosis difficult, where it is quite difficult for a doctor to understand whether you really are suffering from an autoimmune disease, or whether it is something else. But if you are experiencing symptoms that bother you greatly, it is extremely important to find the cause of your condition. If you don't get any answers, don't give up. You can take the following steps to help figure out the cause of your symptoms:

• Write down a complete family medical history of your loved ones, and then show it to your doctor.
• Write down all the symptoms you experience, even if they seem unrelated, and show it to your doctor.
• See a specialist who has experience with your most basic symptom. For example, if you have symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, start by visiting a gastroenterologist. If you don't know who to turn to about your problem, start by visiting a therapist.

Which doctors specialize in treating autoimmune diseases?

Here are some specialists who treat autoimmune diseases and related conditions:

• Nephrologist. A doctor who specializes in treating kidney diseases, such as kidney inflammation caused by systemic lupus erythematosus. The kidneys are organs that cleanse the blood and produce urine.
• Rheumatologist. A doctor who specializes in treating arthritis and other rheumatic diseases such as scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus.
• Endocrinologist. A doctor who specializes in the treatment of endocrine glands and hormonal diseases such as diabetes and thyroid disease.
• Neurologist. A doctor who specializes in treating nervous system diseases such as multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis.
• Hematologist. A doctor who specializes in treating blood disorders, such as some forms of anemia.
• Gastroenterologist. A doctor who specializes in treating diseases of the digestive system, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
• Dermatologist. A doctor who specializes in treating skin, hair, and nail conditions such as psoriasis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
• Physiotherapist. A health care worker who uses appropriate forms of physical activity to help patients suffering from joint stiffness, muscle weakness, and limited body movement.
• Occupational Therapist. A healthcare professional who can find ways to make a patient's daily activities easier despite pain and other health problems. It can teach a person new ways to manage daily activities or use special devices. He may also suggest making some changes to your home or workplace.
• Speech therapist. A healthcare worker who helps people with speech problems due to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
• Audiologist. A healthcare professional who can help people with hearing problems, including internal ear injuries associated with autoimmune diseases.
• Psychologist. A specially trained professional who can help you find ways to cope with your illness. You can work through your feelings of anger, fear, denial and frustration.

Are there medications to treat autoimmune diseases?

There are many types of medications used to treat autoimmune diseases. The type of medicines you need depends on what type of illness you have, how severe it is, and how severe your symptoms are. Treatment is primarily aimed at the following:

• Symptom relief. Some people may use medications to relieve minor symptoms. For example, a person may take medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen to relieve pain. For more severe symptoms, a person may need prescription medications to help relieve symptoms such as pain, swelling, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, fatigue, or rash. In rare cases, the patient may be recommended to undergo surgery.
• Replacement therapy. Some autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease, can affect the body's ability to produce substances it needs to function properly. Therefore, if the body is unable to produce certain hormones, hormone replacement therapy is recommended, during which a person takes the missing synthetic hormones. Diabetes requires insulin injections to regulate blood sugar levels. Synthetic thyroid hormones restore the level of thyroid hormones in people with underactive thyroid gland.
• Immune system suppression. Some drugs can suppress the immune system. These drugs can help control the disease process and preserve organ function. For example, these drugs are used to control inflammation in diseased kidneys in people with systemic lupus erythematosus to help keep the kidneys healthy. Medicines used to suppress inflammation include chemotherapy, which is used for cancer but in lower doses, and drugs taken by organ transplant patients to protect against rejection. A class of drugs called anti-TNF drugs block inflammation in some forms of autoimmune arthritis and psoriasis.

New treatments for autoimmune diseases are being studied all the time.

Are there alternative treatments for autoimmune diseases?

Many people try some form of alternative medicine to treat autoimmune diseases at some point in their lives. For example, they resort to the use of herbal remedies, resort to the services of a chiropractor, use acupuncture therapy and hypnosis. We would like to point out that if you suffer from an autoimmune disease, alternative treatments may help eliminate some of your symptoms. However, research into alternative treatments for autoimmune diseases is limited. In addition, some alternative remedies may cause health problems or interfere with other medications' ability to work. If you want to try alternative treatments, be sure to discuss this with your doctor. Your doctor can tell you the possible benefits and risks of this type of treatment.

I want to have a child. Can an autoimmune disease cause harm?

Women with autoimmune diseases can have children safely. But there may be some risks for both mother and baby, depending on the type of autoimmune disease and its severity. For example, pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus are at increased risk of preterm birth and stillbirth. Pregnant women with myasthenia gravis may have symptoms that lead to difficulty breathing during pregnancy. Some women experience relief of symptoms during pregnancy, while others experience worsening symptoms. Additionally, some medications used to treat autoimmune diseases are not safe for use during pregnancy.

If you want to have a baby, talk to your doctor before you start trying to get pregnant. Your doctor may suggest you wait until your illness is in remission or suggest changing your medications first.

Some women with autoimmune diseases may have trouble getting pregnant. This can happen for many reasons. Diagnostics can show whether fertility problems are due to an autoimmune disease or another cause. For some women with an autoimmune disease, special medications may help them become pregnant to improve their fertility.

How can I manage autoimmune disease outbreaks?

Outbreaks of autoimmune diseases can occur suddenly and be very difficult to bear. You may notice that certain factors that cause flare-ups of your disease, such as stress or sun exposure, may make your condition worse. Knowing these factors, you can try to avoid them while undergoing treatment, which will ultimately help prevent or reduce flare-ups. If you have an outbreak, you should contact your doctor immediately.

What else can you do to improve your condition?

If you're living with an autoimmune disease, there are things you can do every day to feel better:

• Eat healthy, well-balanced foods. Make sure your diet includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or low-fat dairy products, and a lean source of protein. Limit your intake of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt and refined sugar. If you follow a healthy eating plan, you will get all the nutrients you need from food.
• Be physically active. But be careful not to overdo it. Talk to your doctor about what types of physical activity you can do. A gradual increase in loads and a gentle exercise program often has a positive effect on the well-being of people with muscle damage and joint pain. Some types of yoga or Tai Chi exercises can be very beneficial for you.
• Get plenty of rest. Rest gives your body's tissues and joints the time they need to recover. Healthy sleep is a great way to help your body and mind. If you don't get enough sleep and are stressed, your symptoms may get worse. When you don't sleep well, you also can't fight illness effectively. When you are well rested, you can better solve your problems and reduce your risk of developing disease. Most people need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every day to feel well-rested.
• Reduce your stress levels. Stress and anxiety can cause symptoms of some autoimmune diseases to flare up. Therefore, using ways that can help you simplify your life and cope with daily stress will help you feel better. Meditation, self-hypnosis, visualization and simple relaxation techniques can help you reduce stress, control pain, and improve other aspects of life related to your illness. You can learn how to do this through books, audio and video materials or with the help of an instructor, and you can also use the stress relief techniques described on this page -

Autoimmune diseases are pathologies that occur when the body's defenses malfunction. Women are more likely to experience such diseases than men.

What is it and the reasons for its development

Autoimmune pathologies occur due to disorders in the body, which can be triggered by a number of factors. Most often, it is based on a hereditary predisposition. Immune cells, instead of foreign agents, begin to attack the tissues of various organs. Often this pathological process occurs in the thyroid gland and joints.

The necessary substances do not have time to replenish the losses received from the destructive effects of one’s own immune system. Such disorders in the body can be provoked by:

• harmful working conditions;
• viral and bacterial infections;
• genetic mutations during fetal development.

Main symptoms

Autoimmune processes in the body manifest themselves in the form of:

• hair loss;
• inflammatory process in joints, gastrointestinal tract and thyroid gland;
• arterial thrombosis;
• numerous miscarriages;
• joint pain;
• weaknesses;
• skin itching;
• enlargement of the affected organ;
• menstrual irregularities;
• abdominal pain;
• digestive disorders;
• deterioration of general condition;
• weight changes;
• urinary disorders;
• trophic ulcers;
• increased appetite;
• mood changes;
• mental disorders;
• convulsions and trembling of limbs.

Autoimmune disorders provoke pallor, allergic reactions to cold, as well as cardiovascular pathologies.

List of diseases

The most common autoimmune diseases, the causes of which are similar:

1. Alopecia areata - baldness occurs as the immune system attacks the hair follicles.
2. Autoimmune hepatitis - inflammation of the liver occurs, as its cells come under the aggressive influence of T-lymphocytes. The skin color changes to yellow, and the causative organ increases in size.
3. Celiac disease is gluten intolerance. At the same time, the body responds to the consumption of cereals with a violent reaction in the form of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence and stomach pain.
4. Type 1 diabetes - the immune system attacks the cells that produce insulin. With the development of this disease, a person is constantly accompanied by thirst, increased fatigue, blurred vision, etc.
5. Graves' disease is accompanied by increased production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. In this case, symptoms such as emotional instability, hand tremors, insomnia, and disruptions in the menstrual cycle occur. An increase in body temperature and a decrease in body weight may occur.
6. Hashimoto's disease develops as a result of decreased production of hormones by the thyroid gland. In this case, the person is accompanied by constant fatigue, constipation, sensitivity to low temperatures, etc.
7. Julian-Barre syndrome - manifests itself in the form of damage to the nerve bundle connecting the spinal cord and brain. As the disease progresses, paralysis may develop.
8. Hemolytic anemia - the immune system destroys red blood cells, causing tissues to suffer from hypoxia.
9. Idiopathic purpura - platelets are destroyed, resulting in impaired blood clotting ability. There is an increased risk of bleeding, prolonged and heavy menstruation and bruises.
10. Inflammatory bowel disease is Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Immune cells infect the mucous membrane, causing the appearance of an ulcer, which occurs with bleeding, pain, weight loss and other disorders.
11. Inflammatory myopathy - damage to the muscular system occurs. The person experiences weakness and feels unsatisfactory.
12. Multiple sclerosis - your own immune cells attack the nerve sheath. In this case, coordination of movements is impaired, and problems with speech may arise.
13. Biliary cirrhosis - the liver and bile ducts are destroyed. A yellow tint to the skin, itching, nausea and other digestive disorders appear.
14. Myasthenia gravis - the affected area includes nerves and muscles. A person constantly feels weak, any movement is difficult.
15. Psoriasis - destruction of skin cells occurs, as a result, the layers of the epidermis are distributed incorrectly.
16. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease. The body's defenses attack the lining of the joints. The disease is accompanied by discomfort during movement and inflammatory processes.
17. Scleroderma is a pathological growth of connective tissue.
18. Vitiligo - cells that produce melanin are destroyed. In this case, the skin is colored unevenly.
19. Systemic lupus erythematosus - the affected area includes the joints, heart, lungs, skin and kidneys. The disease is extremely difficult.
20. Sjögren's syndrome - the salivary and lacrimal glands are affected by the immune system.
21. Antiphospholipid syndrome - the lining of blood vessels, veins and arteries is damaged.