Living With An Autoimmune Disorder

Living with an autoimmune disorder could be a bit of a rollercoaster ride, where your body is sometimes your best friend and other times your worst enemy. A variety of symptoms can arise every day, ranging from extreme fatigue and aches to more serious issues that must be managed judicially. The key is to pay attention to what your body needs, make adjustments as you go, maintain your strength, and try your best to maintain normalcy.  

Do You Know What Auto-Immune System Disorders Are?

When your immune system starts attacking and destroying your own healthy tissues by mistake, it is known as an autoimmune disorder. There are over 80 different types of these disorders. Normally, your immune system is like a bodyguard, making antibodies against antigens to fight off harmful substances. But in autoimmune disorders, the immune system fails to discriminate between dangerous antigens and healthy tissue, which can lead to damage, especially in those who are genetically predisposed to the disorder. Autoimmune disorders can result in tissue destruction, abnormal organ growth, and changes in organ function, affecting various areas such as blood vessels, connective tissues, endocrine glands, joints, muscles, red blood cells, and skin.

Autoimmune System Disorders Symptoms:

Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. Depending on the exact ailment, symptoms can differ significantly. Symptoms linked to different kinds of diseases are divided into the following categories:

• Joint and muscle issues: You might feel muscle aches, joint pain, stiffness, swelling, weakness, and inflammation.
• Digestive Problems: Look out for bloating, constipation, stomach pain, acid reflux, nausea, food sensitivities, and even blood or mucus in your stool.
• Skin Conditions: Symptoms can include rashes, itching, dry eyes, dry mouth, inflammation, hair loss, and dry skin.
• Nervous System disease: You might experience dizziness, headaches, anxiety, depression, confusion, blurry vision, trouble sleeping, memory problems, migraines, lightheadedness, and tingling or numbness.
• Other Health Issues: This can show up as fatigue, pain, fever, chest pain, swollen glands, weight changes, a fast or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, and sensitivity to temperature.

Examples of Auto-Immune Disorders:

The majority of persons with chronic autoimmune conditions—nearly 80%—are female. These autoimmune conditions include multiple sclerosis, lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren's syndrome, among others. Studies are being conducted by researchers to determine the cause of the sex-biassed trend in this particular disease category. According to research, a mix of genetic and environmental factors most likely causes the diseases. An individual's gender, race, and ethnicity are associated with their likelihood of developing an autoimmune disease. There is a higher prevalence of autoimmune diseases in individuals exposed to specific environmental factors.

List of Auto-Immune Disorders

• Auto-Immune Disorders in Children

Autoimmune diseases in children are rare and can be difficult to diagnose and treat since there are over 80 different types and most don’t have cures. Understanding the immune system is crucial: the innate immune system is like your body’s first line of defence against germs, while the adaptive immune system is more specific and uses antibodies to target specific threats using antibodies. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, often affecting connective tissues and presenting symptoms that can vary widely, making diagnosis challenging. Autoimmune diseases can be categorised into organ-specific disorders, which target specific organs (e.g., Addison's disease, type 1 diabetes), and non-organ-specific disorders, which affect multiple body systems (e.g., lupus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis). It’s important for parents to know that these conditions aren’t caused by anything they did, and there's nothing they could have done to prevent it.

• Auto-Immune Disorders in Dogs

Autoimmune diseases in dogs can affect various body parts and manifest in different ways. While IMHA, ITP, and pemphigus foliaceus are more common, autoimmune diseases overall are relatively rare in dogs. Common types of autoimmune disease include:

• Pemphigus foliaceus affects skin cells, causing lesions and infections.
• Pemphigus erythematosus targets facial skin, especially in certain breeds.
• Pemphigus vulgaris is rare and severe, leading to widespread skin lesions.
• Bullous pemphigoid separates skin layers.
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) affects multiple systems, causing lameness, skin issues, and organ failure.
• Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE), a benign skin form affecting the nose and face.
• Myasthenia gravis causes muscle weakness, affecting eating and mobility.
• Granulomatous meningoencephalitis (GME), an inflammation of the brain, is the cause of neurological symptoms.
• Masticatory myositis affects chewing muscles, causing pain and difficulty eating.
• Glomerulonephritis impairs kidney function, leading to various symptoms of kidney failure.
• Polyarthritis causes joint inflammation and lameness.
• Uveodermatologic syndrome affects melanin, which is frequently the cause of blindness.
• Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), sometimes referred to as "dry eye," is more prevalent in some breeds.
• Panna, a condition that gradually damages the eyes, can cause blindness.
• Immuno-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) affects blood clotting and may cause bruising.
• Immunomediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA)-related impairment of red blood cells causes weakness and breathing problems.

Symptoms vary widely and may include anaemia, bruising, lethargy, and skin lesions. These diseases are more prevalent in unspayed females and certain breeds, with potential causes linked to genetics, infections, and environmental factors. The diagnosis is challenging, often requiring blood tests, urine tests, and biopsies to exclude other conditions. 

Treatment primarily involves immunosuppression with steroids and other medications, along with pain management and antibiotics for secondary infections. While autoimmune diseases are not curable, they can be managed with ongoing treatment and regular veterinary check-ups. Early diagnosis and careful management, including limiting sun exposure and being cautious with medications, can improve outcomes.

• Auto-Immune Skin Disorders

The epidermis and dermis of the skin, the largest organ in the body, contain specialised cells that aid in immunity. The skin is made up of several layers, each of which has a unique purpose and is connected to a number of autoimmune disorders. Researchers make a distinction between autoimmunity and autoinflammation, elucidating that the former are caused by innate immunity and the latter by adaptive immunity. Some examples are mentioned below.

• Pemphigus is an autoimmune blistering disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes, causing blisters and erosions due to the detachment of skin cells. It mainly occurs in women aged 40–60 and can also affect animals such as horses and dogs. The disease is caused by autoantibodies that target desmosomal proteins, resulting in blister formation, and is influenced by autoimmune mechanisms and genetic factors.
• Bullous Pemphigoid (BP) is a rare autoimmune disease mainly affecting the elderly, characterised by subepidermal blisters, tense bullae, red plaques, and intense itching. It can be triggered by non-immune factors like trauma and specific medications.
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is an itchy skin condition associated with coeliac disease, primarily affecting extensor surfaces. It features intense itching, rashes, and blisters. It is linked to wheat allergy, but its exact cause is not fully understood.
• Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita (EBA) is a relatively uncommon autoimmune skin disorder characterised by the formation of blisters beneath the skin, resulting in fragile skin, sores, and additional blistering. The prevalence of this condition is not widespread and may vary among different racial groups; however, it typically manifests in individuals aged between 40 and 50. Furthermore, EBA has been associated with other medical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
• Vitiligo is a chronic skin condition marked by the loss of melanocytes, resulting in depigmentation. It affects about 0.5% of the population equally among genders, often beginning in the second decade of life, and can occur alone or with other autoimmune disorders like thyroid disease and lupus. It is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. 
• Psoriasis is a skin issue that shows up as red, scaly patches, usually on the scalp, elbows, knees, torso, and buttocks. A lot of people with psoriasis (about 50–80%) also deal with nail problems, which can look like nails separating from the bed, oil spots, thickened skin, red spots in the nail base, little dents, white spots, and nails that crumble.

• Rare Auto-Immune Disorders

Even though many autoimmune diseases are well-known, diagnosing and treating a number of rare autoimmune diseases can be particularly difficult. Here are some examples.

• Grave’s Disease: This condition leads to excessive thyroid hormone production, causing symptoms like tremors and an irregular heartbeat. It affects 2-3% of the global population and is typically treated by thyroid removal and hormone replacement therapy. 
• Uveitis: This rare disease causes eye inflammation and is treated with corticosteroids.
• Sarcoidosis, characterised by granuloma formation, can affect various organs. 
• Addison’s Disease: This endocrine disorder results from adrenal gland damage, leading to hormone deficiencies. Treatment typically involves hormone replacement therapy, but researchers are exploring artificial adrenal glands.
• Granulomatosis: it leads to various symptoms and is treated with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Cures for most autoimmune diseases haven't been discovered yet. But with a correct diagnosis, one can find the best ways to manage the symptoms. One needs to try different ways to alleviate the symptoms and bring normalcy. 

It is difficult to lump all 80 distinct autoimmune disorder types into one category based solely on symptomatology because each type has its own distinct cause. But generally speaking, a few of the most typical symptoms include: exhaustion; joint pain and swelling; skin issues; abdominal pain or digestive problems; recurring fever; and swollen glands.

With proper care, you can live a long life with an autoimmune disease, even though most of them are incurable. But the symptoms of auto-immune disease can be alleviated with appropriate treatment personalised according to your needs.  

Although your immune system's purpose is to shield your body from dangerous substances, there are situations when it cannot tell the difference between a friend and an enemy. When, due to some reason, your immune system starts attacking healthy tissues. We refer to it as an autoimmune disease.