“Understanding Autoimmune Diseases: Symptoms and Effects on the Body”

According to studies, there are currently around 80 autoimmune diseases. They are actually the result of the immune system accidentally attacking the body instead of protecting it. Specialists say that the exact reason why the body behaves in this way is not yet known, but these diseases can affect many types of tissues and almost every organ in the human body. For example, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which plays an essential role in regulating blood sugar (glucose levels in the blood). In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Thus, patients will have high blood sugar levels from a young age, which leads to damage to blood vessels and organs such as the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.

Then, in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the joints. Patients experience redness, warmth, stiffness and pain in the joints. The autoimmune disease psoriasis causes skin cells to multiply too quickly. As a result, extra cells appear, which accumulate and form red, inflamed macules, usually covered with pearly-white crusts. Up to 30% of patients diagnosed with psoriasis also develop arthritis, manifested by inflammation and joint pain. In multiple sclerosis, however, the myelin layer on the nerves is damaged. Damage to the myelin layer slows down the transmission of nerve messages from the brain to the spinal cord, i.e. the entire body. Furthermore, these patients will experience numbness, weakness, balance disorders and difficulty walking.