Is it autoimmune?

You’re constantly tired, your muscles ache or joints feel swollen, and you may notice dry eyes or sores in your mouth. Could it be an autoimmune disease? It’s sometimes not clear at first because symptoms can vary and easily go unnoticed.

You know immunity is important during cold and flu season, but what does it mean to have an autoimmune condition?

“In a normal state, the immune system is like a guard or lookout in the body. Its job is to protect against external invaders like bacteria, viruses and fungi, and regulate the internal environment to ensure proper function of body cells,” said Archana Goel, MD, a board-certified rheumatologist with Baptist Rheumatology. “When the immune system functioning goes haywire, it leads to an autoimmune disease. The causes can be complex and difficult to pinpoint. It may be triggered by a combination of environment, genetics, infection and stress.”

Types of autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases can affect people of any age (even infants), may run in families and are more common in women. Researchers estimate there are between 80 and 150 different autoimmune diseases, including:

• Type 1 diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Lupus
• Addison’s disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Graves’ disease
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Celiac disease

Common symptoms to watch for

Autoimmune diseases can appear with a variety of symptoms.

“Some of the common signs are joint and muscle pain, swelling, fatigue and weakness. Other less common symptoms include rash, fever, weight loss and dry eyes. They may be specific to an organ system, like chest pain, breathing problems or blood clots,” Dr. Goel said. “Though rare, some conditions involve multiple organs in the body.”

How autoimmune diseases are diagnosed

A diagnosis usually requires a detailed history, physical examination, routine and specialized blood work and X-rays. Sometimes, MRIs, CT scans or biopsies are needed.

“It can be difficult to diagnose autoimmune conditions. It requires a consultation with a rheumatologist,” Dr. Goel said. “Other specialties like allergy/immunology, dermatology, nephrology, pulmonology, cardiology, gastroenterology and orthopedics may be needed.”

Your autoimmune disease prognosis depends on many factors.

“It varies based on the person, diagnosis, treatment, lifestyle and genetics,” Dr. Goel said.

Prevention and treatment options

The good news is that prevention and treatment are possible. Though prevention is always better than treatment, it's never too late to improve your health.

"A stitch in time saves nine,” Dr. Goel said. “You can avoid many autoimmune diseases through proper health care, which spans many areas of your life.”

Self-care should be our top priority. Put it on top of the list of "things to do" on a daily basis.

Physical well-being and mental well-being go hand-in-hand, Dr. Goel said.

“As mentioned, some autoimmune diseases are more common in women,” she added. “As women, we tend to see ourselves as caregivers of families, and it becomes important to realize that we 'cannot pour from an empty cup' and you need to 'put on your mask first before helping others,' as they say on an airplane. Please don't put your health on the back burner.”

Self-care begins with simplistic “pillars of health” which are diet, rest, sleep, exercise and emotional health (stress management), Dr. Goel said.

“Emotional health, though mentioned last, could be said to be the most important because it influences our choices and decisions,” Dr. Goel added. “Hence, our mind is more powerful than our body. When we listen to our body, we also tend to listen to our mind. In order to strengthen ourselves emotionally, we should strive to spend quality time alone and use tools like journaling, deep breathing, meditation and seek the help of a therapist. When we work on our body through diet, physical activity and sleep, our mind also improves and vice versa. Beyond that, timely medical check-ups with a primary care physician are recommended.”