Autoimmune Diseases: Symptoms, Types, Diagnosis, and Treatment Methods

What Are Autoimmune Diseases? What Are Their Symptoms?

Autoimmune diseases are pathological conditions that occur as a result of the immune system attacking the body's own organs and systems. When the affected region is at the organ level, it is considered an organ-specific autoimmune disease, whereas when it affects multiple systems, systemic autoimmune diseases occur. Symptoms vary depending on the organ, tissue, and system where they manifest. Symptoms are evaluated during the diagnosis of the disease, but a definitive diagnosis cannot be made because they resemble the symptoms of many other diseases. Blood tests, imaging methods, and medical and family history are utilized to support the information obtained from the physical examination. After the patient receives a diagnosis, treatment is planned to manage the symptoms.

What Are Autoimmune Diseases?

An autoimmune disease is a non-physiological condition that arises as a result of the immune system attacking the body's own cells. The functioning of the immune system ensures the protection of the body against diseases and infections. It protects the body against bacteria, viruses, parasites, and foreign substances. Furthermore, it does not attack body tissues. However, sometimes as a result of an error or disorder, it perceives body cells as harmful substances and attacks them.

Types of Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases can damage many tissues in the body. There are types of autoimmune diseases based on the damaged organ and system. Some organ-specific and systemic autoimmune disease types include:

Organ-specific autoimmune diseases: This is the group of diseases in which a specific organ or tissue is targeted by the immune system.

Celiac disease: This occurs as a result of the immune system attacking the gluten protein found in wheat and grains.

Type 1 diabetes: This is a hereditary disease that develops as a result of the immune system attacking the cells that produce the insulin hormone in the pancreas.

Hashimoto's disease: This is a condition that causes hypothyroidism as a result of the immune system attacking the thyroid.

Graves' disease: This is a disease that causes hyperthyroidism as a result of the immune system attacking the thyroid.

Psoriasis: This is a chronic disease that causes the immune system to be overactive and skin cells to multiply rapidly.

Multiple sclerosis: This occurs when the immune system attacks nerve cells.

Guillain-Barré syndrome: This is a condition that causes numbness and muscle weakness throughout the body as a result of the immune system attacking the peripheral nerves.

Vitiligo: This is a disease that occurs as a result of the immune system attacking melanocytes, which are skin cells that produce pigment.

Autoimmune liver diseases: This is a condition that causes inflammation as a result of the immune system attacking the liver. Autoimmune liver disease encompasses hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Systemic autoimmune diseases: This is the group of diseases in which the immune system causes damage to every cell, tissue, organ, and system in the body.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: This is an immune system disease that affects many parts of the body such as the skin, joints, heart, kidneys, lungs, and brain.

Rheumatoid arthritis: This is a chronic disease that occurs as a result of the immune system attacking the joints.

Sjögren's syndrome: This is a chronic disease that develops as a result of the immune system attacking the eyes, mouth, and other moisture-producing glands.

Inflammatory bowel disease: It has two different types, namely Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It causes inflammation in the digestive system organs.

What Are the Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases?

There are immune system diseases that affect every organ and system of the body. The symptoms that appear vary depending on the affected organ and system. However, certain symptoms may be commonly observed in patients. These symptoms are:

Fatigue and weakness

Dizziness

Difficulty concentrating

Pain and swelling in muscles and joints

Skin rash

Digestive problems

Weight gain or loss

Muscle weakness

Abdominal pain

Reflux

Dryness in the mouth, skin, and eyes

How Do Autoimmune Diseases Occur?

Autoimmune diseases arise in the body as a result of autoimmune reactions. Autoimmune reactions in the body are seen as a result of certain conditions. The conditions that cause the formation of autoimmune reactions are:

In cases where the proteins of a harmful substance or organism share similarities with body proteins, the immune system may attack body tissues.

In cases where changes occur in body cells that the immune system cannot recognize, the cells are not recognized. This may occur as a result.

The production of immune system cells that attack the body as a result of a defect in these cells can lead to autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune reactions in the body usually appear as a genetically rooted disorder, meaning it is passed down from family to an individual. In addition to this, autoimmune diseases can also occur under the influence of other factors. The factors that trigger autoimmune diseases are:

Certain medications

Smoking

Exposure to toxic substances

Obesity

Imbalance in the gut flora

Infections

Diet rich in fat, sugar, and salt

How Are Autoimmune Diseases Diagnosed?

The symptoms of autoimmune diseases resemble the symptoms of many other diseases. Therefore, multiple evaluation methods are utilized during the diagnostic stage for a precise and accurate diagnosis. Family and medical history, physical examination, imaging methods, and blood tests are generally utilized. In some cases, biopsy methods are used to diagnose the affected tissue.

The immune system test consists of a few different tests. These tests are performed on a blood sample. Autoantibodies are searched for in the blood sample. If there are autoantibodies in the blood, it is a sign of an immune system disease. The blood tests utilized in autoimmune diseases are:

Complete blood count: This allows the detection of infection in the body.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate: This is used to diagnose non-specific inflammation in the body.

Rheumatoid factor test: Rheumatoid factor is an autoantibody protein. This protein occurs in rheumatological diseases.

Thyroid peroxidase antibody test: This is used for the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases occurring in the thyroid.

Antinuclear antibody test: This is requested along with a complete blood count for the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases.

C-reactive protein test: This is used to detect general inflammation.

How Are Autoimmune Diseases Treated?

There is no cure for autoimmune diseases. Treatment is generally applied to manage symptoms and minimize organ and tissue damage. Medication, exercise, nutritional intervention, and surgical methods can be applied in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Medication therapy: The doctor may prescribe immunosuppressive drugs and medications that reduce inflammation to decrease inflammation-related symptoms.

Hormone replacement: The doctor may add this to the treatment, especially in autoimmune diseases that cause hormone deficiencies such as type 1 diabetes or hypothyroidism.

Physical therapy: Movement is important in autoimmune diseases affecting muscles and joints. Therefore, patients are enabled to perform exercises that will increase their physical activity in order to reduce pain in the muscles and joints.

Nutritional therapy: Dietary patterns are an important factor in autoimmune diseases. Dietary patterns consisting of fish, oilseeds, legumes, fruits, and vegetables that stimulate less inflammation should be adopted. The autoimmune protocol diet has been designed to determine the link between autoimmune diseases and nutrition.

The Autoimmune Protocol Diet

The autoimmune protocol diet is a dietary program designed to identify inflammation-triggering foods. In the implementation of this diet, the dietitian removes all foods that will increase the amount of inflammation in the body from the diet. Afterwards, they are added back into the diet, and the amount that causes symptoms to worsen is determined. Consumption is not allowed above the determined amount.

Grains, legumes, dairy products, eggs, processed foods, oilseeds, food additives, alcohol, coffee, and refined sugars are foods that are initially removed in the diet. Certain foods increase inflammation in specific individuals. The relationship between autoimmune diseases and dairy products is an example of this. While dairy products cause inflammation in individuals with allergies and intolerances, no such effect is observed in healthy individuals with a healthy digestive system.

Frequently Asked Questions About Autoimmune Diseases

A healthy immune system protects the body against harmful substances and organisms. While doing this, it does not attack body tissues and cells. If the immune system attacks the body and damages cells, it indicates a disorder in the immune system. There is no cure for an immune system that damages body tissues and organs. Upon consulting a physician, treatment is managed through drug therapy and lifestyle changes to alleviate symptoms and minimize damage in the body. The symptoms of some autoimmune diseases also include psychological disorders. For example, while depression and anxiety are seen in multiple sclerosis, Graves' disease can co-occur with schizophrenia. Therefore, autoimmune diseases and psychology are closely linked. Especially psychological disorders lead to schizophrenia; psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, autoimmune hepatitis, and Crohn's disease. Autoimmune diseases are diagnosed and their treatment is planned by an immunologist. Additionally, depending on the affected area of the body, a dermatologist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, and rheumatologist may be healthcare specialists consulted in treatment. Preventing autoimmune diseases may not be possible. However, you can do certain things to have a more functional immune system. These are; exercising regularly, staying away from smoking, avoiding toxins, and eating a healthy dietary pattern. With these practices, the immune system helps protect the body against diseases. Autoimmune diseases are usually lifelong, meaning chronic diseases. They do not appear acutely. In addition, the symptoms of autoimmune diseases can worsen acutely. They can be brought under control with treatment shortly after. The immune system is also called the immune system. The prefix 'auto' means by itself. The word autoimmune is used to express that the immune system attacks the body's own tissues and organs. In addition to the effects of vitamin D on bone and muscle health, it plays an important role in the immune system. Vitamin D has a gene-stimulating effect on the formation of immune system cells. Therefore, its deficiency lays the groundwork for the formation of immune system diseases. At the same time, adequate vitamin D intake has a healing effect on many autoimmune diseases. The immune system is divided into two as innate and adaptive. The innate immune system is congenital and is the system that gives the first reaction when first encountering a microbe. The adaptive immune system destroys the microbe that the innate immune system cannot destroy. It is a slower-working immune system.

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