What Are Autoimmune Diseases?

When the immune system in the body becomes overactive, then the person suffers with the autoimmune disease. The immune system of the body reacts against the substances and tissues normally present in the body causing autoimmune disorder. The phenomenon of autoimmune disease is being mentioned in the medical literature from about 100 years, but still no perfect resolution is being found to cure the autoimmune disease. You can treat the symptoms but still medical science is struggling to resolve the issue of autoimmune diseases. Why does the immune system react wrongly against its own is still unknown fact for science. During the autoimmune disorder the immune system mistakenly identifies some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks it.

The normal function of the immune system of the body is to produce the required antibodies to safeguard the health from the foreign antigens that invades the health. In few types of autoimmune disease, the bacteria or virus triggers the autoimmune response due to which the antibodies attack the healthy tissues and acts in the favor of the bacterial or viral infections. Some times only a particular organ is being attacked by the autoimmune system or in few cases it may damage many organs. Normally the immune system has the power to recognize between the body parts and foreign bodies, but sometimes the immune system malfunctions and starts attacking its own body parts. This way the autoimmune system diseases are triggered.

When the body processes are normal, the immune system performs properly. There are two types of immune system present in the body, humoral immune system and cellular immune system. In humoral immune system, the B lymphocytes produce the antibodies and proteins that attack the foreign substances. This way the attack of the foreign bodies is completely destroyed by our immune system and we are safeguarded from falling ill. In cellular immune system, special white blood cells called T lymphocytes attack foreign substances directly and destroy them. As the life passes, the immune system collects the data that which substances in the body are its own and which are foreign bodies that should be avoided. But, due to some abnormalities this data of the immune system gets lost of destructed as a result of which immune system starts attacking its own body.

As per the scientific research carried out on autoimmune disorders, women are noted to be more prone to the autoimmune disorders. There is no particular reason noted behind this, but the results were considered to be authentic as many doctors have noted more cases of women suffering with the autoimmune system disorders. One of the causes behind the occurrence of the autoimmune system is noted to be hereditary, which means that if any one of your parents is suffering with the autoimmune system disorder then you are at high risk of suffering with the autoimmune system disorder.

There are about 80 different types of the autoimmune system disorders. Some of these disorders show the same symptoms, whereas some others vary. The most commonly noted symptoms of the autoimmune disorders are tiredness, muscle aches, shaky hands, irritability, and low fever. If you are facing any of these symptoms from about a week then please consult the doctor before the condition gets more severe. Depending upon which part of the body the autoimmune system is adversely affecting the doctor will prescribe you the medications. Autoimmune system disorder can not be completely cured, only the symptoms that are seen can be treated. The medications that suppress the working of the immune system are used to cure the autoimmune disorders.