What Is an Autoimmune Disease?

By james

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If it was not for our immune system then we would likely fall ill often. Indeed, it would probably not be long before a pathogen is able to kill us outright. Thankfully, however, we do have an immune system that helps to keep us safe, but it will also sometimes causes problems for us.

Autoimmune diseases are conditions where the patient’s body is being attacked by their immune system. This happens because, for unknown reasons, the immune system recognizes the body’s cells as unwelcome intruders. There are more than 80 different type of autoimmune disease, and the symptoms will vary from type to type.

1. Causes

Autoimmune diseases are not at all well understood. However, there are some groups of people who are more likely to have an autoimmune disease, giving some insight as to what the causes might be. For example, women are more likely to develop autoimmune disease than men, as are people from certain ethnic groups.

People are also more likely to develop certain autoimmune conditions if there is a history of them in their family. It is also thought that modern medicine might contribute by making the immune system more reactive to certain stimuli. Another potential factor is how the patient takes care of themselves in general, including what they eat.