Contents:
- Medical Video: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) - causes, symptoms, diagnosis & pathology
- What is an autoimmune disease?
- What are the common autoimmune diseases?
- 1. Rheumatism
- 2. Lupus
- 3. Psoriasis
- 4. Inflammatory bowel disease
- 5. Type 1 diabetes mellitus
- 6. Multiple sclerosis
Medical Video: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) - causes, symptoms, diagnosis & pathology
Often you may hear about autoimmune diseases, diseases caused by the immune system or your own immune system. Some diseases can indeed be caused by your own immune system. Having an error in your immune system can cause your body to attack itself. What are included in autoimmune diseases?
What is an autoimmune disease?
Autoimmune disease is a disease that occurs due to the immune system (immune system) attacking healthy cells in your own body. This disease develops when your immune system misses the healthy cells in your body, and instead considers them as foreign substances. As a result, your body starts producing antibodies that will attack and damage healthy cells in your body. Meanwhile, the exact reason why your immune system attacks healthy cells in the body is unknown.
Autoimmune diseases can affect almost all parts of the body, including the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, joints, eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys, digestive tract, glands, and blood vessels. There are as many as 80 types of autoimmune diseases.
Bdepending on the type, this autoimmune disease can affect one or many body tissues. This causes the growth of organs to become abnormal and result in changes in function in the organs. Treatment for autoimmune diseases focuses on reducing the symptoms and activity of the immune system because there is no treatment that can really cure it.
What are the common autoimmune diseases?
The following are common types of autoimmune diseases:
1. Rheumatism
Rheumatism or arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints. The immune system produces antibodies that attach to the joint layer, so that immune cells attack the joints and cause inflammation, swelling and pain. People with rheumatism usually feel symptoms such as joints that are sore, stiff, and swollen, which can reduce their motion. If not treated, rheumatism can cause permanent joint damage gradually.
2. Lupus
Lupus or systemic lupus erythematosus can occur when antibodies produced by the body attach to tissues throughout the body. Some tissues that are commonly affected by lupus are kidneys, lungs, blood cells, nerves, skin, and joints. People with lupus can experience symptoms, such as fever, weight loss, hair loss, fatigue, rash, pain or swelling in the joints and muscles, sensitive to sunlight, chest pain, headaches, and seizures.
3. Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a disease caused by the growth of new skin cells that are so fast that they accumulate on the surface of the skin. This disease causes the skin to become reddish, thicker, scaly, and look like white-silver patches. In addition, it can also cause itching and pain in the skin.
4. Inflammatory bowel disease
The immune system that attacks the intestinal lining is called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), because it can cause chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. This disease can appear with symptoms of diarrhea, rectal bleeding, urgent bowel movements, abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, and fatigue.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the most common forms of intestinal inflammation. Symptoms of Crohn's disease are accompanied by oral ulcers, while symptoms of ulcerative colitis are often accompanied by difficulty defecating.
5. Type 1 diabetes mellitus
This disease is caused by immune system antibodies that attack and destroy insulin-producing cells (hormones needed to control blood sugar levels) in the pancreas. As a result, the body cannot produce insulin, so your blood sugar levels become high. This blood sugar that is too high can then affect your vision, kidneys, nerves and gums. Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus need regular insulin injections to control the disease so that it doesn't get worse.
6. Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis or dual sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the protective layer around the nerve. This can cause damage that affects the brain and spinal cord. People with multiple sclerosis can show symptoms, such as blindness, poor coordination, paralysis, muscle tension, numbness, and weakness. Symptoms can vary because the location and level of attacks vary between individuals.
