Examples of Autoimmune Disease
Alopecia Areata: The body's immune system attacks the hair cells and creates bald spots on the head, face, and body.
Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: The body's immune system causes bleeding and inflammation in the intestines.
Graves' Disease and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: The body's immune system attacks the thyroid gland (this gland controls how the body uses energy). These diseases can make women lose or gain weight, sweat more, become more sensitive to changes in temperature, as well as change a woman's menstrual flow.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome: The body's immune system attacks the nervous system, causing tingling, weakness, and sometimes paralysis in the arms and legs. In very serious cases, it can affect breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (Type 1 or "Juvenile Diabetes"): The body's immune system attacks the insulin-making cells in the pancreas (a body organ) and destroys them. Without enough insulin, the body cannot control how much sugar is in the blood.
Lupus: The body's immune system attacks the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain. Sometimes it is very hard to determine if a person has lupus. Common signs are a bright rash of the face, pain in the joints, unexplained fever, chest pain when breathing in, and unusual hair loss.
Multiple Sclerosis: The body's immune system attacks the central nervous system and keeps the nerves from telling the body to do things like walk, talk, or write.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: The body's immune system attacks tissues around the joints. This disease makes the tissues swell, and can cause pain and stiffness. It also can hurt the heart, lungs, and eyes.
Scleroderma: The body's immune system makes scar tissue in the skin, internal organs, and small blood vessels. Symptoms vary, but can include dry eyes and dry mouth, pain in the fingers and toes, and muscle soreness.
Sjögren's Syndrome: The body's immune system keeps it from making tears and saliva, causing dry eyes and dry mouth.
For more information about autoimmune diseases, contact the University of Michigan Women's Health Resource Center at 734-936-8886.
Reading List
Living Well with Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You . . . But You Need to Know by Mary J. Shomon
Women and Autoimmune Disease: The Mysterious Ways Your Body Betrays Itself by Robert G. Lahita, M.D., Ph.D. and Ina Yalof
The Autoimmune Connection by Rita Baron-Faust and Jill P. Buyon, M.D.
Thriving With Your Autoimmune Disorder: A Woman's Mind-Body Guide by Simone Ravitz, Ph.D., M.B.A.
The Fibromyalgia Relief Handbook by Chet Cunningham
This article appeared in the June/July 2005 issue of Women's Health. You can read the issue online.
