Introduction
Autoimmune disease is a condition whereby the immune system starts attacking the body. It happens when the body’s automatic defense capability fails to differentiate between foreign cells that are internally placed in the body. This condition includes lupus, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis (Vojdani & Vojdani, 2021). The symptoms of Autoimmune disease may depend on the individual, where severity may differ from one person to another. For example, many people with Autoimmune diseases complain of fatigue, skin issues, swollen glands, recurring fever, and many other symptoms. The risk factors include exposure to tobacco, weight, or genetic formations in the body.
Types of Autoimmune Diseases
Various types of autoimmune diseases affect organs in the body. First, diabetes is a form of a condition that affects the pancreas and is characterized by frequent urination. The other type is a grave disease that alters the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, causing one to have weight loss (Nabi et al., 2022). Inflammatory bowel disease comprises ulcerative colitis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a common autoimmune disease that affects joint functioning. Other examples are systemic lupus, scleroderma, and psoriasis.
Epidemiology
Autoimmune disease is one of the leading killer conditions for young and middle-aged persons in the US. The prevalence rate ranges from five per hundred thousand to more than five hundred per hundred thousand. 85% of Autoimmune diseases are associated with women, with many having thyroiditis and grave disease (Karakaya, 2021). Some conditions for Autoimmune disease occur when one is a child or adolescent. GlobalData analysis shows that the US and the UK have been associated with high cases of Autoimmune diseases (Puustinen et al., 2019). About 5% to 8% of the US population is affected by this condition (Karakaya, 2021). There is a need to combat diseases for the well-being of society.
Progression/History
The history of Autoimmune diseases dates back to the mid-20th century. The scientific and medical communities detected several conditions, such as sympathetic ophthalmia, which proposed the existence of Autoimmune diseases (Nabi et al., 2022). The disease was perceived as biologically implausible, whereby the immune system was said to be capable of self-harm. In the 1950s, seminal studies that involved long-term thyroiditis and various clinical laboratory successes made doctors acknowledge the existence of autoimmune diseases (Nabi et al., 2022). In 1963, the monograph on auto immunization led to the publishing of the disease, as many clinical researchers had reached a consensus (Nabi et al., 2022). The disease advanced from black water fever to regulatory functioning.
Anatomy and Physiology
The existence of autoimmune diseases means a balance discrepancy between the regulator of the immune system and the effector. The reactions may develop through stages and have phases of clinical remission. The self-reactive lymphocytes are eliminated, leading to exacerbations for the patient. As Figure 1 shows, autoimmune diseases undergo initiation, propagation, and resolution (Puustinen et al., 2019). The environmental triggers lead to interference in cell balance, where the extrinsic and intrinsic nature of the cell is affected, leading to the bodily defense system fighting internally. It is important to mention that the self-perpetuating inflammation causes tissues to be damaged and the spreading of epitopes hence making a patient have a persistent struggle.
Pathophysiology
As seen earlier, the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases comes from genes, immune structure, and the environment. It occurs when the genes confer genetic vulnerability, becoming dysregulated, leading to internal damage. Due to the environmental triggers, the autoimmune disease becomes medically apparent, hence the victim’s unfolding of chronic health issues. As Figure 2 shows, the insulin is lost, followed by glucose intolerance which means there is a diagnosis of medical diabetes (Nabi et al., 2022). The susceptibility of the genes makes the process develop further, making a person be diagnosed with a specific condition. Autoimmune disease is monogenic since it defects from a single gene that yields harmful effects.
Signs, Symptoms, and Complications
When the autoimmune disease is present, there is evidence of the destruction of healthy tissues that alters how the normal body functions. The complications may depend on the type of autoimmune disease present. For example, loss of eyesight is a common problem associated with people with multiple sclerosis. Other common complications include liver damage and hallucinations, especially for patients with lupus (Karakaya, 2021). There are vague symptoms, such as dizziness, fatigue, fever, change in skin issues, and unexplained weight loss, which may come from time to time. There are sensitive complications, such as a change in how a person is conscious and a high fever that may be more than 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
Existing Prevention
Autoimmune disease can be prevented if treated early enough before symptoms manifest fully. Prevention measures that are recommended include diet regulation. In this case, individuals are encouraged to reduce the intake of sugar flour intakes, and gluten. Allowing the body to eat the right fats is also important while balancing the intake of nightshades. Brigham and Women’s Hospital study shows that people exposed to regular vitamin D and omega-3 have a low risk of autoimmune diseases (Vojdani & Vojdani, 2021). Therefore, to prevent the condition, it is important to incorporate vitamin D. Additionally, probiotics are essential in minimizing the chances of having this condition.
Therapeutic Measures
Treating autoimmune disease may involve controlling the condition in several ways. First, it is important to use anti-inflammatory drugs that reduce swelling of the tissues after destruction. The use of corticosteroids is recommended since they reduce inflammatory cases and exacerbations. Secondly, pain-killing medication is advised to control how the body reacts when cells start fighting within the body (Nabi et al., 2022). One of the important measures is physical therapy, which involves a series of exercises controlled by an expert. For insulin loss, injections are recommended to reduce cases of diabetes. Lastly, surgery can be done if there is bowel blockage for people with Crohn’s disease.
Conclusion
The autoimmune disease involves the immune system attacking its own body. That occurs when the defense system does not recognize or differentiate common and foreign cells within the body. Examples of autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, grave disease, and diabetes type I.85% of the condition affects women, with 8% of the US population likely to get the disease. Autoimmune disease has three faces, namely initiation, propagation, and resolution. The triggers for the disease comprise genetic and environmental that lead to the weakening of the body cells, destroying healthy cells. Complications include fever, liver damage, dizziness, and loss of eyesight. The condition can be prevented by vitamin D intake and therapeutic measures such as exercise.
References
Karakaya, F. (2021). Clinical significance of concomitant extrahepatic autoimmune disease in patients with autoimmune liver disease. Hepatology Forum, 6(3), 4. Web.
Nabi, M., Noor, R., Zahid, A., Zulfiqar, T., Khalid, A., & Ri, S. (2022). Grave’s disease: Pathophysiology of a model autoimmune disease. Archives of Microbiology &Amp; Immunology, 06(02), 12-21. Web.
Puustinen, L., Barner-Rasmussen, N., Pukkala, E., & Färkkilä, M. (2019). Incidence, prevalence, and causes of death of patients with autoimmune hepatitis: A nationwide register-based cohort study in Finland. Digestive and Liver Disease, 51(9), 1294-1299. Web.
Vojdani, A., & Vojdani, E. (2021). The Role of exposomes in the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases I: Toxic chemicals and food. Pathophysiology, 28(4), 513-543. Web.