WHAT ARE AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS?
Autoimmune disorders are conditions in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues, confusing them for harmful invaders. Normally, the immune system protects the body by targeting bacteria, viruses, or toxins, but in autoimmune diseases, it turns against parts of the body such as joints, skin, muscles, or organs, causing inflammation and tissue damage.
There are more than 80 recognised autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Symptoms often vary widely depending on the specific disease and the body part affected, ranging from fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, to neurological issues. These diseases can be chronic and fluctuate in severity.
The exact cause of autoimmune disorders is not fully understood; they likely result from a complex interaction of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers such as infections, toxins, chemicals, or lifestyle factors. Women are more commonly affected than men, and multiple autoimmune diseases can coexist in the same individual.
