Autoimmune Disease: Sign & Symptoms
                     AUTOIMMUNE 
DISEASE: 
SIGN & 
SYMPTOMS
Introduction
Autoimmune disease happens when the body’s natural defense 
system can’t tell the difference between your own cells and foreign 
cells, causing the body to mistakenly attack normal cells. 
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Source: www.hopkinsmedicine.org
How do autoimmune diseases 
work?
Experts don’t know why your immune system turns on you. It’s like it 
can no longer tell the difference between what’s healthy and what’s 
not — between what’s you and what’s an invader. There are some 
theories about why this happens, but experts aren’t completely sure.
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Source: my.clevelandclinic.org
Common autoimmune diseases
1. Type 1 diabetes: In type 1 diabetes mellitus, the immune system 
attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the immune 
system attacks the joints.
3. Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis:  Psoriasis causes skin cells to multiply too 
quickly.
4. Multiple sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis (MS) damages the myelin sheath, 
the protective coating that surrounds nerve cells, in your central 
nervous system. 
5. Inflammatory bowel disease: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a 
term used to describe conditions that cause inflammation in the lining 
of the intestinal wall. 
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Source: my.clevelandclinic.org
Common Autoimmune Disease 
Symptoms 
Despite the varying types of autoimmune disease, many of them 
share similar symptoms. Common symptoms of autoimmune disease 
include:
• Fatigue
• Joint pain and swelling
• Skin problems
• Abdominal pain or digestive issues
• Recurring fever
• Swollen glands
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Source: www.hopkinsmedicine.org
Autoimmune 
Disease Risk 
Factors
Genetics
Certain disorders such as lupus and multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to run 
in families. Having a relative with autoimmune disease increases your 
risk, but it doesn’t mean you will develop a disease for certain. 
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Source: www.hopkinsmedicine.org
Weight
Being overweight or obese raises your risk of developing rheumatoid 
arthritis or psoriatic arthritis. This could be because more weight puts 
greater stress on the joints or because fat tissue makes substances 
that encourage inflammation. 
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Source: www.hopkinsmedicine.org
Smoking
Research has linked smoking to a number of autoimmune diseases, 
including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, hyperthyroidism and MS.
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Source: www.hopkinsmedicine.org
Diagnosis
Doctors often have a hard time diagnosing autoimmune diseases. 
There's usually not a specific test to show whether you have a certain 
autoimmune disease. And the symptoms can be confusing. That's 
because many autoimmune diseases have similar symptoms. 
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Source: medlineplus.gov
Treatment
The treatment depends on the disease. In most cases, the goal of 
treatment is to suppress (slow down) your immune system, and ease 
swelling, redness, and pain from inflammation. Your doctor may give 
you corticosteroids or other medicines to help you feel better. For 
some diseases, you may need treatment for the rest of your life.
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Source: medlineplus.gov