Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases
If you have or think you have an autoimmune disease, here’s what you need to know.
Photo by Melanie Wasser on Unsplash
If you’re wondering if you have symptoms of lupus, sjogren’s, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, scleroderma, celiac disease, or any other type of autoimmune disease, you’re in the right place.
In this article, I’m going to run you through symptoms common to all autoimmune conditions so that you can better understand what you’re experiencing. It’s important that you educate yourself as much as possible if you suspect you have an autoimmune disease because it takes four years on average to get a diagnosis for an autoimmune condition.
That’s time that you can spend understanding your condition so that you can take a targeted approach to managing and potentially reversing it.
Before we dive into symptoms of autoimmune disease though, let’s do a quick overview of what autoimmune diseases are. This will give you some context around why the manifest in the way that they do.
A Case of Mistaken Identity
All autoimmune diseases are characterised by the presence of autoantibodies. These are molecules produced by the immune system. Normally, antibodies are produced to attack invading viruses and other pathogens. But in the context of autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakenly makes antibodies that attack the self (auto).
The specific type of antibody produced is what makes different autoimmune diseases distinct. For instance, in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the immune system makes antibodies that attack the thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck involved in energy production. In rheumatoid arthritis, antibodies attack various tissues within the joints. In systemic lupus erythematosus, antibodies are less specific in their attacks, and damage various tissues throughout the body.
But even though most antibody attacks are focused on one main organ or tissue, all autoimmune diseases can still cause widespread symptoms in the body. This is because the adaptive immune system operates throughout the entire body. It can cause inflammation and pain in joints and limbs that aren’t actually directly involved in the autoimmune condition.
Meanwhile the innate immune system, the part of the immune system that operates at more local level, is in constant communication with the adaptive immune system. The more active it is, the more likely it is that parts of the innate immune system will become overactive. But if no pathogen is present, the innate immune system’s activity can also end up harming your own organs and tissues.
This damage in turn sends a signal to the adaptive immune system that something is wrong. It ramps its activity up even more.
The two systems work in concert, developing what’s called a bi-directional feedback loop, which drives more inflammation, more pain, and more fatigue.
The longer this goes on, the harder it is for the immune system to distinguish between self and other.
Common Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases
As you can now probably appreciate, there are many overlapping symptoms in the various autoimmune conditions. This is because, even though they’re distinguished by the different antibodies that are produced, the immune systems are otherwise working in much the same way.
Here are the most common symptoms:
Fatigue and low energy
Skin rashes, eczema, or hives
Joint pain and swelling
Hormonal imbalances and irregular periods in women
Digestive issues, including bloating, diarrhoea, and constipation
Food intolerances and allergies
Chemical sensitivities
Anxiety and/or depression
Hair loss
Trouble regulating body temperature and blood pressure
Cognitive impairment, also known as brain fog
There are more symptoms on top of these specific to each autoimmune condition but these are the main ones to look out for.
If you have any or all of these, it’s important that you seek and get the help you need. Don’t wait four years to get a diagnosis. Start educating yourself and taking the necessary steps to better manage your health today.