Doctor checking the patient's hand

Understanding Autoimmune Diseases

A soldier who betrays his own country by providing information to the other party, or actually fighting his own government, is charged with treason. Such betrayal is common and can hurt the organization and the country as a whole. This is the same as the human body. This condition is known as autoimmune diseases of disorders. To properly manage it, however, one has to first understand what it is about.

What is an autoimmune disease?

First, it is important to understand that not all autoimmune diseases have a cure. But, there are autoimmune disease treatment centers in Salt Lake City that can help patients manage the condition.

Now, it is time to look into how the immune system works. Like an army of soldiers, the immune system releases an army that protects the body from foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. You might not see it, but your body fights off foreign invaders on a daily basis. A classic example is a fever. It might give people discomfort, but a running fever is a sign that your body is fighting off bacteria by increasing your body’s temperature because heat can kill foreign invaders. However, that is not always the case.

Due to some reasons affected by various conditions like genetics, external factors, or sometimes just plain luck, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy parts of your body. Attacking your own is considered as treason in a political sense, but it is classified as an autoimmune disorder in a medical one.

Common autoimmune diseases

Nurse checking the sugar level of a patientAs the immune system is responsible for protecting the whole body, the kinds of autoimmune diseases also vary. Here are some types:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis – When the body cannot distinguish a good cell found in the joints and bones of your body, it attacks it. These attacks cause inflammation and pain to the patient. As the source is your immune system and is not caused by age, rheumatoid arthritis can affect people in their 30s.
  • Diabetes – The body produces insulin through the pancreas. Insulin is the one responsible for breaking down and processing the body’s sugar levels. However, as the body cannot distinguish good cells from bad ones, the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells. Without enough insulin in the body, sugar is not properly processed, which causes Type 1 diabetes.
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) – Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two of the most common types of IBD. Crohn’s is characterized by the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract while ulcerative colitis affects the lining of the large intestine and the rectum. Inflammation of the lining of the intestines causes pain, urgent diarrhea and bowel movements, fever, and consequently, weight loss.

These are just some of the numerous kinds of autoimmune diseases a lot of people suffer from. There might not be a known cure for all of the conditions at present, but modern medicine is focusing on helping patients manage their conditions and still have a normal life as much as possible. If you are suffering from one, or thinks you have such condition, it is important to seek professional medical help immediately.

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