The function of the immune system is to protect the body from external dangers, especially viruses and bacteria. Unfortunately, occasionally the immune system mistakes normal tissue as a pathogen leading to autoimmune disease symptoms. The immune system is a finely tuned and efficient system of sentries aimed for long term protection and when an autoimmune disease develops, it becomes chronic and the treatment also becomes long term, difficult, and frequently harsh.

Autoimmune Disease Symptoms

Autoimmune diseases are not a single disease, but are frequently classified by the tissue attacked, the method or immune cells involved in the attack, or the person who first identified it. Anyone can get in autoimmune disease, but the risk is greater for women, especially of childbearing age, for people with a family history, for people exposed to some environmental events, although the actual triggers are still unknown, and some diseases are more common in one ethnic group or another.

Autoimmune Disease Symptoms

Autoimmune disease symptoms are as varied as the diseases themselves, and typically are caused by damage to the tissues affected; however there are some symptoms that are common with many of the diseases. Fatigue is seen in many of the diseases, as is chronic pain, especially in the joints, and weight loss, however, treatment usually causes excessive weight gain.

Systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE or simply lupus, attacks multiple tissues and causes repeated fevers, weight loss, hair loss, fatigue, rashes, especially a butterfly shaped rash across the nose and cheeks, joint and muscle pain, photosensitivity, and chest pain.

Sjogren’s syndrome effects moisture producing glands and causes dry itchy eyes, mouth dryness and sores, swallowing difficulties, increased dental disease, fatigue, joint pain and swelling.

Psoriasis attacks skin tissues causing increased growth and causes thick painful scaly red patches frequently seen on elbows and knees. It can also affect joints causing arthritis in the fingers, toes and back.
Autoimmune Disease Symptoms
Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the lining of the joints and causes stiff painful joints, and long term will cause the fingers to deviate outward and limit their function. Sufferers may also experience fatigue, fever, weight loss, anemia, or lung disease.

Inflammatory bowel diseases, IBD, attacks the lining of the digestive tract and includes the diseases Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and the symptoms include abdominal pain, often times intermittent, bloody diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever, fatigue, weight loss, and painful bowel movements.

Myasthenia gravis is caused by an attack to the neuromuscular synapses, the point that nerve signals reach muscles. All the symptoms of MG involve muscle weakness and include double vision, swallowing difficulty, weakness often times leading to paralysis, head droop, trouble climbing, lifting objects, and talking. The symptoms also seem to be less after a rest.

There are many, many more autoimmune diseases and the symptoms are almost endless. The best person to evaluate the symptoms will be a primary care physician and possibly a referral to a rheumatologist.

Autoimmune Disease Symptoms continued

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