Autoimmune Disorder
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Autoimmune Disorder
Autoimmune disorders are diseases that occur as a result of the immune system attacking as well as destroying health tissue body. The immune system is an important part of the body as it helps the body fight against invasion from invasion and diseases. For a normal human who is health, the immune system is often able to differentiate between its cells as well as the cells that may be a threat to the body, however for most autoimmune disorders the immune system is not able to recognize the health cells in the body and those that it should fight. This therefore leads to the body producing antibodies that fight normal tissues and cells. This paper will explore the various types of autoimmune disorders and their causes.
There are 80 different types of autoimmune diseases that do exists. According to research. There are several factors that may result in the autoimmune diseases including gender, genetic as well as racial component. According to the National Institute of Health 24 million Americans suffer from at least one autoimmune disease (WebMD In response to unknown trigger, antibodies are often produced in the body attacking its own tissue. Some of the autoimmune disorders that exists includes rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Vascullitis, and Addison Disease. Race and ethnicity has often been stated to be among the reasons for occurrence of some autoimmune disorders. For example, lupus tens to affect more African Americans as well as ethnicity when they are compared to the Caucasians. Multiple sclerosis and Addison have strong genetic links,
Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of autoimmune diseases as a result of inflammation of the joint. At times when the disease is so severe, it may end up affecting how the joints function or look. When RA occurs in the fingers, it may result in deformities in joints of the fingers making movements of the hand quite difficult. When the antibodies start attacking its own tissue, the inflammation of the joint they begin to get inflamed. People between ages 30 to 50 but it may also affect the children a condition referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The common joints that are affected includes feet, ankles, knees, wrist, hands. Common sign and symptoms includes stiffness likely to occur during morning hours, joints get to swell, pain that may get worse with joint movement and tiredness.
Psoriasis is another form of autoimmune disorder where the skin tends to get inflamed, raised and may turn red on arrears such as knees, lower back, elbows and knees. Just like most autoimmune disorders, the cause of psoriasis is unknown, there has been research that has been linked with abnormally fast growing skin cells. When the skin cell multiply quickly that is between 3 to four days, it also tends to shed quite quickly. There are three forms of psoriasis including plaque psoriasis, guttate psoriasis and pustular psoriasis. Common sign and symptom associated with psoriasis includes red patches on skin and raised skin especially if its plaque psoriasis, sore throat may precede guttate psoriasis. In pustular psoriasis, it may include small pustules which are blister with pus on the body.
Multiple sclerosis is also considered an autoimmune disease as the body seems to attack its health cells. It affects the central nervous system specifically the spinal cord and brain. The immune system gets to attack the myelin sheath which is the protective sheath covering nerve fibers responsible for communication. When these sheath are destroyed, it results in communication problems. Progression of the disease leads to eventual damage of the nerves. The signs and symptoms is likely to vary from person to person as well as severity of the nerve damage. People that may be affected with severe MS, may be unable to walk while other experience prolonged periods of remission. Other symptoms include the numbness of legs or limbs, tremors, visual problems including partial or complete loss of sight or blurred vision, slurred speech, tingling or pain and fatigue.
Autoimmune Addison disease is a chronic disease that results when the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient or fail to produce the hormones cortisol and aldosterone and for this reason, the disease is at times termed as chronic adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolisms. The disease symptoms vary from one person to another. Visual development of the disease is elaborate over time and is often non-specific at first (Napier, 2012). It affects a number of individuals It affects a number of individuals worldwide and it affects both men and women worldwide. It is illustrated by uncontrolled weight loss, severs muscle weakness fatigue and low blood pressure, and in other cases the skin may darken. In most cases, Addison’s disease is caused by severe destruction on the adrenal cortex the outer part of the adrenal gland. The damage is often caused by the immune system. The Immune system might attack the adrenal gland causing severe damage to the adrenal cortex.
90% of the damage caused to the endocrine organ renders the organ ineffective meaning it will not have the capability to produce sufficient steroids hormones, cortisol and aldosterone and once the levels of the three core hormones reduce, the symptoms of Addison’s manifest. Due to the underproduction of the cortisol hormone and aldosterone, Addison’s disease is otherwise known as chronic adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolism. Some of the main functions of the cortical hormone include maintaining of blood pressure and the important cardiovascular functions, it also plays a critical role in aiding and balancing the work of insulin in ensuring the sugars are broken down to energy as well as ensuring the immune system inflammatory response is regulating. The hormone is also associated with the regulation of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat metabolism. Addison disease is also termed as autoimmune disease because it results from a malfunctioning immune system that produce cells to destroy other glands. The results are the destruction and disruption of other several hormones and hence affecting several other body systems. Research demonstrates that the condition has a vivid and strong genetic connection and the characteristic make it possible for the disease to be hereditary.
Gullain Barre Syndrome is an autoimmune disorder whereby the immune system attacks the nerves causing tingling and weakness in the extremities. The sensation may quickly spread with the severity depending on how bad the nerves are affected. The causes of Gullain Barre are unknown but in most cases it is preceded by an infection such as stomach flu of a respiratory infection. Common signs and symptoms include feeling of pricking sensation on toes, fingers or ankles, one may also experience weakness in their leg increase hear rate, severe pain that may be cramp like and difficulty in breathing. The condition worsens rapidly thus one needs to get medical attention as soon as possible (Mayo Clinic).
Different autoimmune disorders are treated differently but most cannot be cured the aim of the treatment is to always control the immune response thus minimizing inflammation and the symptoms. Common drugs used in the treatment of autoimmune disorders include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as well as immune suppressing drugs. Most of these treatment relieve symptoms such as pain, fatigue, skin rashes and welling. Researchers are conducting more clinical research and drug trials to try and look for permanent cures for most of these autoimmune disease.
References
Autoimmune Diseases: What Are They? Who Gets Them? (2018, August 14). Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/autoimmune-diseasesGuillain-Barré syndrome. (2020, January 15). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/guillain-barre-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20362793Napier, C., & Pearce, S. H. S. (2012, December). Autoimmune Addison’s disease. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23177474
