Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the body recognizes its own tissues as foreign and directs an immune response against them. Autoimmune diseases are a group of conditions where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own cells. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, affecting various parts of the body<ref name="NIH">

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Normally, the immune system can distinguish between foreign cells and its own cells. In an autoimmune disease, however, this system fails to recognize its own cells and starts attacking them as if they were foreign bodies. This can lead to inflammation and damage to various body tissues.

Types of Autoimmune Diseases

There are several types of autoimmune diseases, which can be grouped by the body parts they affect. Some of the most common ones include Rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, Psoriasis, Multiple sclerosis, Systemic lupus erythematosus, and Inflammatory bowel disease.

Causes

The exact cause of autoimmune diseases is unknown, but it's believed that a combination of genetics and environmental factors such as infections and exposure to chemicals or certain foods can trigger an autoimmune response<ref name="Cooper">Cooper, GS,

 The environmental determinants of autoimmune disease, 
 Journal of Autoimmunity, 
 2016,
 Vol. 83,
 pp. 31–42,
 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2016.07.007,
 PMID: 27417908,</ref>.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis of autoimmune diseases can be challenging due to the wide range of symptoms that can vary greatly from person to person. Tests such as antinuclear antibody (ANA) test and autoantibody tests are often used.

Treatment aims to control the overactive immune response and bring down inflammation or reduce pain. This typically involves the use of medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immune-suppressing drugs, and physical therapy<ref name="NIH"/>.

Research

Research into autoimmune diseases is ongoing, with scientists working to understand the causes and develop improved treatments. There are also numerous clinical trials in progress, looking at new ways to treat autoimmune diseases<ref name="NIH"/>.

See Also

• List of autoimmune diseases
• Immunology
• Chronic illness

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Rheumatologic diseases

Arthritis is often used to refer to any disorder that affects the joints. Rheumatic diseases usually affect joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles. Rheumatologic diseases usually affect joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles.

Connective Tissue Diseases

Rheumatology and	Connective Tissue Diseases
Ankylosing spondylitis	Arthritis
Arthritis and Rheumatic diseases	Autoimmune diseases
Autoinflammatory diseases	Behçet’s disease
Bursitis	Giant cell arteritis
Gout	Juvenile arthritis
Knee problems	Lupus
Osteoarthritis	Polymyalgia rheumatica
Psoriatic arthritis	Reactive arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis	Scleroderma
Sjögren’s syndrome	Systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus)
Tendinitis	Rheumatologic diseases