Autoimmune

The autoimmune diseases are, simply put, the process which the immune system attacks its own healthy tissues and organs. How this works is, our bodies have an immune system, which is a complex network of special cells and organs that defends the body from germs and other foreign invaders. At the core of the immune system is the ability to tell the difference between self and nonself, especially if there’s a flaw the body makes. When this happens, the body makes autoantibodies that attack normal cells by mistake. At the same time special cells called regulatory T cells fail to do their job of keeping the immune system in line. The result is a misguided attack on your own body. The body parts that are affected depend on the type of autoimmune disease. There are more than 80 known types. The autoimmune disease is not discriminatory, it can affect anyone, but there are certain people who have a higher risk factor than others. Women in their childbearing years are at a greater risk, as are people with a history of autoimmune disease in their family. Environmental factors such as exposures to sunlight, chemicals (solvents), and viral and bacterial infections can increase your risk of developing autoimmune disease. Some autoimmune diseases are more common depending on your ethnic background, such as Type 1 diabetes, which is more common in white people, or lupus, which is more prevalent in Hispanic or African-American people. Graves’ disease (overactive thyroid) A disease that causes the thyroid to make too much thyroid hormone. Although Graves’ disease can be diagnosed from the results of one or two tests, your doctor may use several methods to double-check the findings and rule out other disorders. An analysis of your blood will show if the levels of two hormones- tetraiodothyrinine (free T-4) and triiodothyronine (free T-3), which are produced or regulated by the thyroid- are higher than normal. If they are, and if levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in

References: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health (n.d.). Autoimmune Diseases. Retrieved June 27, 2013, from http://www.womenshealth.gov