4 Common Autoimmune Disorders
Ordinarily, the immune system defends the body against disease, fighting back against harmful pathogens and destroying them whenever possible. With autoimmune disorders, the immune system becomes overactive. It starts attacking healthy tissues in the body, resulting in symptoms that can be painful and debilitating.
It is not known what causes autoimmune disorders. Most are chronic, but management options may include infusion treatment Ellicott City. Here are some of the most common autoimmune disorders.
1. Lupus
The full medical term for this condition is systemic lupus erythematosus. It causes damage to organs, joints, and connective tissue with recurrent bouts of inflammation interspersed with asymptomatic periods. The term “lupus” comes from the Latin word for “wolf.” Lupus often causes a face rash that resembles a wolf’s face markings. It is also known as a butterfly rash because it spreads across the nose and over the cheeks.
2. Multiple Sclerosis
Nerve fibers are covered with a protective sheath of a material called myelin. Multiple sclerosis attacks the myelin sheaths. This disrupts neural communication between the brain and the rest of the body. This results in motor dysfunction and can also affect cognition.
3. Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation and stiffness of the joints. It may affect both sides of the body at the same time and be worse in the morning and after long periods of inactivity. Over time, rheumatoid can cause deformity of the joints, which may lose range of motion as a result. RA typically affects younger people, and treatment can help prevent long-term complications.
4. Psoriasis
Human beings normally shed small flakes of skin as the cells become old and die off. These are then constantly replaced with new skin cells. Psoriasis causes the body to produce new skin cells too quickly, before it has the opportunity to shed the old ones. This causes plaques of thick, hardened skin to form that become inflamed and itchy.
Psoriasis can also affect the joints of the body, resulting in a sequela, or related condition, of rheumatoid arthritis.