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Autoimmune diseases

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Before proceeding to the story about the origin of autoimmune diseases, let us understand what the immune system. All of you probably know what this word they call our ability to defend against disease. But how does this protect?

In the bone marrow of a person produced by special cells – lymphocytes. Immediately after entering the blood they are considered immature. And maturation of lymphocytes occurs in both the thymus and lymph nodes. Thymus (thymus gland) located in the upper part of the chest just behind the breastbone (upper mediastinum), and the lymph nodes there are in several parts of our body: in the neck, in the armpits, in the groin.

Those lymphocytes which have undergone maturation in the thymus, appropriately be called T – lymphocytes. And those that matured in the lymph nodes, called b-lymphocytes, from the Latin word "bursa"(bag). Both types of cells are needed to create antibody – weapons against infections and foreign tissues. The antibody reacts strictly to its corresponding antigen. That's why, when you get sick with measles, the child will not get immunity to mumps, and Vice versa.

The meaning of vaccination is to"introduce" our immunity against the disease by entering a tiny dose of the pathogen, so that later, when massive attack, the flow of the antibodies destroy the antigens. But why then, year after year perebolela cold, we do not acquire her a strong immune system, you ask. Because the infection is constantly mutating. And it's not the only danger to our health – sometimes the lymphocytes start to behave like an infection, and attack your own body. About why so occurs and whether it is possible to deal with it, will be today.


What is autoimmune disease?

As you might guess from the title, autoimmune disease – this disease, caused by the same immune system. For some reason, white blood cells begin to be considered alien and dangerous a particular type of cells of our body. That's why autoimmune diseases are complex or systemic in nature. Affects a whole body or group of bodies. The human body runs, figuratively speaking, a program of self-destruction. Why is this happening, andhow can we protect ourselves from this trouble?


Causes of autoimmune diseases

Among the lymphocytes there is a special "caste" cell-techs: they have protein body's own tissues, and if some part of our cells dangerous to modify, get sick or die, the nurses will have to destroy this unnecessary garbage. At first glance, a very useful feature, especially when you consider that the special cells are under strict control of the body. But alas, the situation sometimes develops like a scripted action-Thriller: everything that can spiral out of control, out from under him and takes the weapon.

Causes uncontrolled reproduction and aggression lymphocytes of nurses can be divided into two types: internal and external.

Internal reasons:

  • Gene mutation type I, when the lymphocytes cease to identify a specific type of cells of the body. Inheriting such genetic baggage from their ancestors, people will likely get sick of the same autoimmune who was sick of his immediate family. And since the mutation for cells of a particular organ or system of organs, it will, for example, toxic goiter or tiroidite;

  • Gene mutation type II, when the lymphocytes-the nurses are multiplying out of control and cause systemic autoimmune disease such as lupus or multiple sclerosis. These problems are nearly always hereditary.

External causes:

  • Very heavy, protracted infectious diseases, after which immune cells begin to behave inappropriately;
  • Deleterious physical influence from the surrounding environment, such as radiation or solar radiation;
  • The "trick" cells, pathogens, who pretend to be very similar to our own, only diseased cells. Lymphocytes-the nurses can't figure out who is who, and fight against both.

Symptoms of autoimmune diseases

Because autoimmune diseases are very diverse, to highlight the common symptoms for them is extremely difficult. But all diseases of this type develop gradually and persecuted human life. Very often, doctors are baffled and can't putthe diagnosis, as the symptoms seem to have disappeared, or are characteristic of many other, much more well-known and widespread diseases. But timely diagnosis is critical to the success or even save the patient's life: autoimmune diseases can be very dangerous.

Consider the symptoms of some of them:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints, especially small – arms. It is manifested not only by pain but also swelling, numbness, high fever, feeling of compression of chest and General muscle weakness;

  • Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the nerve cells, in which the person begins to experience a strange tactile sensation, to lose sensitivity, worse to see. Sclerosis is accompanied by muscle spasms and numbness, and impaired memory;
  • Diabetes of the first type makes a person for life dependent on insulin. And its first symptoms – frequent urination, constant thirst and a ravenous appetite;

  • Vasculitis – a dangerous autoimmune disease that affects the circulatory system. Blood vessels become brittle, organs and tissues seem to collapse and bleed from the inside. The forecast, alas, is unfavourable, and the symptoms are pronounced, so the diagnosis is rarely causes difficulties;

  • Lupus is called systemic because the harms nearly all organs. The patient feels pain in the heart, can't breathe, constantly tired. On the skin there are red rounded convex spots of irregular shape that itch and are covered with scabs;
  • Of pemphigus, a terrible autoimmune disease, symptoms of which – huge bubbles on the surface of the skin filled with lymph;
  • Tiroidite Hashimoto's – autoimmune thyroid disease. Its symptoms are: drowsiness, thickening of the skin, severe weight gain, fear of cold;

  • Hemolytic anemia is an autoimmune disease in which white blood cells fight against the Reds. The lack of red blood cells leads to fatigue, lethargy, drowsiness, blackouts;

  • Graves ' disease acts as the antithesis of tiroidite Hashimoto's. With her thyroid gland begins to produce too much of the hormone thyroxine, so the opposite symptoms: weight loss, heat intolerance, increased nervous excitability;

  • Myasthenia gravis affects the muscular tissue. The resulta man constantly tormented by the weakness. Especially quickly tire the eye muscles. The symptoms of myasthenia gravis can be combated with the help of special medicines that improve muscle tone;

  • Scleroderma is a disease of the connective tissue, since such tissue in our body almost everywhere, the disease is called systemic, like lupus. The symptoms are very diverse: there take place degenerative changes of the joints, skin, blood vessels and internal organs.

It is important to know! If any person becomes worse on the vitamins, macro and microelements, amino acids, and also in the use of adaptogens (ginseng, Siberian ginseng, sea buckthorn and others) - this is the first sign of autoimmune processes in the body!

List of autoimmune diseases

A long and sad list of autoimmune diseases is unlikely to fully fit in the article. We call the most common and well known of them. The type of lesion, autoimmune diseases are divided into:

  • System;
  • Organ-specific;
  • Mixed.

Systemic autoimmune diseases include:

To organ-specific, i.e., affecting a specific organ or system of the body, autoimmune diseases are:

  • Joint disease – spondyloarthropathy and rheumatoid arthritis;

  • Endocrine disease – diffuse toxic goiter, graves ' syndrome, Hashimoto's tiroidite, the first type of diabetes;

  • Nervous autoimmune disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, syndrome Hyena Bar;

  • Diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract – biliarycirrhosis of the liver, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, cholangitis, autoimmune hepatitis and pancreatitis, celiac disease;

  • Diseases of the circulatory system – neutropenia, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenic purpura;

  • Autoimmune disease kidney – some types of vasculitis, affecting the kidney, goodpasture's syndrome, glomerulopathy and glomerulonephritis (a group of diseases);

  • Skin disorders – vitiligo, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus and vasculitis with cutaneous localization, pemphigoid, alopecia, autoimmune urticaria;

  • Pulmonary disease, again associated vasculitis of the lung and sarcoidosis and fibrosarcoma alveolitis;

  • Autoimmune heart disease – myocarditis, vasculitis, and rheumatic fever.


Diagnosis of autoimmune diseases

Diagnosis with a special blood test. Doctors know what types of antibodies indicate a particular autoimmune disease. But the problem is that sometimes the person suffers and hurts for many years before the district physician will generally come up with the idea to refer the patient to the lab for analysis on autoimmune disease. If you have strange symptoms, you should consult several experts with a high reputation. You should not rely on the opinion of one doctor, especially if he doubts the diagnosis and choice of treatment.

On topic: Effective nutritional method of treatment of autoimmune diseases


What kind of doctor treats autoimmune diseases?

As we said above, there are organ-specific autoimmune diseases, treatment of which is engaged in specialized doctors. But when it comes to system or mixed shapes, may need the help of several experts:

  • Neurologist;
  • The hematologist;
  • Rheumatologist;
  • Gastroenterologist;
  • Cardiologist;
  • Nephrologist;
  • Pulmonologist;
  • Dermatologist;

  • Endocrinologist.