Common Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases Everyone Needs To Know
For the past few decades, autoimmune diseases are on the rise. More than 80 conditions are listed under autoimmune diseases that can range from a mild allergy to organ-specific conditions. Some of these conditions can essentially harmless outside some slight discomfort while some are lifethreatening. These conditions arise as a result of a malfunctioning of the body’s defense mechanism- the immune system. Our body contains special cells called macrophages which protect us from bacterial and viral infections. But when these cells get wrong signals, they start attacking healthy cells leading to chronic health disorders and this phenomenon is termed autoimmunity. Most autoimmune diseases share common symptoms and getting to know the most common symptoms is the first step towards protecting ourselves from further complications and improving our quality of life. Here are the major early symptoms of Autoimmune diseases: 1. Itchy Skin or Skin Rash : Your skin is the largest external organ of the body which can say a lot about your health. Underlying conditions can cause the skin to reflect what is happening inside the body. Unusual rashes, blotchy skin, redness can be a sign of the autoimmune condition. Even sunsensitivity or sudden outbursts of acne or eczema indicate that something is not right internally. Not all skin conditions are indicative of an autoimmune condition but any inexplicable and abnormal changes in the skin can be because of an overactive immune response. Certain autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosus, vitiligo,scleroderma, and psoriasis are directly linked to the health of the skin. Changes in the texture and color of skin along with swelling of areas in and on the bodymust be examined by proper medical professionals. 2. Tiredness and Brain fog: Ideally, a healthy person does not get tired after a good nightsleep of 7 to 8 hours. But when an individual has a weakened immune system, they feeladditionally tired and would want to take naps even after a full night's sleep. Chronic fatigue is a common symptom for many autoimmune-related diseases such as autoimmune hepatitis, Hashimoto’s disease, Haemolytic anemia, coeliac disease,and other similar diseases.Brain fog is a symptom of an underlying medical condition.It’s a type of cognitive dysfunction, involving lack of concentration and mental clarity, confusion and inability to focus on work or daily activities. Persistent fatigue and brain fog can indicate conditions such as fibromyalgia, diabetes, Hypothyroidism and Sjögren syndrome. 3. Weight Loss or Weight Gain : Unexplained weight loss or weight gain of an individual without any alteration in diet or physical activity is quite a serious healthconcern that should be evaluated by a physician. Fluctuations in weight are associated with chronic medical complications and certain autoimmune conditions. Hypothyroidism which induces slow metabolic rate causes weight gain while Grave’s disease