When you are experiencing chronic stress the visible signs start showing only when the condition gets worse. The effects of stress can be felt by your physical health and mental health. It can also weaken your immune system. The natural process is that your body’s immune system fights pathogens and foreign agents so as to initiate quicker recovery. But when the response action is taken against your body’s own cells then it is called an autoimmune disorder. This is the condition where instead of protecting your body from diseases the immune system causes diseases of different types. There are various triggers that can lead to different autoimmune disorder conditions. Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, diabetes mellitus- Type I, myasthenia gravis are all types of autoimmune conditions. Depending on the type of autoimmune disease you experience your body might be sending out different signals. Know the risk factors and the symptoms so that you can identify and get treatment for autoimmune diseases at an early stage. This will make treatment simpler and more effective.
Here are some of the risk factors commonly linked to autoimmune diseases-
- Women are at a higher risk of acquiring autoimmune diseases than men.
- There are some types of autoimmune disorders that are also known to be hereditary. So if you have a family history then make sure that you look out for any warning sign.
- Most of the autoimmune diseases target the younger generation and the middle-aged.
- Certain types of infections and even some medications can make your body more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases.
Below are the common symptoms that should send a red flag and grab your attention. If you notice any of these symptoms have a word with your Doctor to carry out the appropriate diagnostic procedure.
- Pain in the joints should never be ignored. Sometimes you might experience pain after strenuous activities. But the pain that does not get better with rest and the pain increases or keeps coming back might indicate an early stage of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
- If your skin suddenly appears too sensitive, if you notice rashes on your skin and if the rash appears often then it could indicate issues with your immune system. These have been cases where you might notice that even short exposure to sunlight causes burns and blemishes.
- Unexplained fatigue which is persistent could indicate an onset of autoimmune disease.
- Muscle pains, swelling and soreness accompanied by redness could also be triggered when your immune system is causing unwanted inflammation in an area where no injury had occurred.
Based on the type of autoimmune disease that the body is experiencing two or more of the above symptoms can occur. The severity of the symptoms might indicate the severity of the condition. So if you experience any of these signals get your body diagnosed to ensure that your immune system is healthy.