Auto Immune Disorders

The immune system is the bodies defense army, it is designed to help the body fight pathogens (foreign materials) by producing an army of antibodies to attack and break down the pathogen, removing it to prevent you from becoming ill.

An Autoimmune Disorder also referred to as Autoimmune condition or Autoimmune Disease, is where the body’s army sees your own cells and/or tissues as a pathogen and in turn begins to attack it, and thus does no longer prevent you from becoming ill, instead it can make you ill.

The cause of Autoimmune Disorders is unknown, but is thought to be due to genetic predispositions and environmental factors.

Autoimmune Disorders can fall into 2 categories, Systemic and Localised.

Systemic refers to those where damage affects many organs and tissues. Diseases that this include are; Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and Sjogren’s Syndrome.

Localized refers to those where a single organ or tissue is attacked and damaged. Diseases this includes are; Type 1 Diabetes mellitus, Coeliac Disease, Mutiple Sclerosis, and Addison’s Disease.

In some cases, people can have more then one autoimmune condition.

Common symptoms in people with Autoimmune Disorders are Chronic Fatigue, Muscle and Joint Pain, however there are specific symptoms associated with the specific diseases.