Autoimmune Diseases: When The Body Starts To Attack Its Own Cells

The immune system normally protects the body against foreign materials, such as viruses and bacteria. Autoimmune diseases result from a failure of the body’s own defenses against disease. The immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign materials and its own cells. So, the body starts attacking its own organs and tissues. There are three kinds of lupus. Discoid lupus affects only the skin and can be identified by red marks on the face or neck. These marks on the skin can be a sign of another form of lupus called systemic lupus. Systemic lupus can affect almost any organ or organ system of the body. When people talk about lupus, they usually mean the systemic form of the disease. Some kinds of medicines can cause what is called drug-induced lupus. This form of lupus usually goes away when the patient stops using the medicines. High body temperature and pain in the elbows or knees are common signs of lupus. Other signs are red marks on the skin, feelings of extreme tiredness and a lack of iron in the body. At different times, the effects of lupus can be either mild or serious. The signs of the disease can come and go. This makes identifying the disease difficult. Many people with lupus also suffer from depression. Experts are not sure what causes lupus. Genetics or environmental influences seem to be involved. Lupus has been known to attack members of the same family. Yet, the genes responsible have yet to be identified. Also, many women with lupus give birth to healthy babies. Many scientists believe infections may cause lupus. So can extreme bodily or mental tension, commonly known as stress. Two other suspected causes are antibiotic drugs and hormones produced by the body. In fact, hormones might explain why lupus affects women far more often than men. The Lupus Foundation of America says ninety percent of the people with lupus are women. Also, persons of African American, American Indian or Asian ancestry get infected more often than white women. Scientists do not know why women are more at risk than men. They think it might have to do with female hormones, like estrogen. Another idea is that it could involve the foreign cells left in a woman’s body after a pregnancy. There is currently no cure for lupus. Yet doctors have developed ways of treating the disease. Treatments are based on the condition and needs of each patient. No two individuals have the exact same problems. A treatment could include a combination of exercise, stress-reduction and drugs such as painkillers or steroids. Anti-malaria drugs also have been effective. It has been thirty years since the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a drug especially for treating lupus. Several companies are working to make drugs that can help lupus patients. Organizations like the Lupus Foundation of America are working to increase public understanding of the disease. Lupus can be life threatening if left untreated. Yet, many patients can lead a normal and healthy life if they follow their doctor’s advice. Patients must take their medicines and keep looking for side effects or any new signs of the disease. Lupus is not the only autoimmune disease. Doctors and scientists have identified at least eighty other such diseases in which the body attacks its own organs and cells. Some of the diseases attack just one area of the body, like the skin, eye or muscles. Others affect an organ system or even the whole body. Some of the diseases are well known, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and type-one diabetes. Others are less well known and more difficult to identify. For example, celiac disease is difficult to identify because the signs of the disease are so common. Patients may have low iron levels and experience stomach pain. The uncontrolled expulsion of bodily wastes also is a problem. Doctors might treat those signs and not know they are caused by celiac disease. Some people develop celiac disease after eating gluten, a protein found in all wheat products. It is not always clear that eating something as harmless as wheat can be bad for a person’s health. For some patients, it can be years before the problem is correctly identified.