Inflammatory disease is a general term that applies to autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation conditions in which a person's immune system attacks the body's own tissues. Familiar inflammatory diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis.
Many types of autoimmune diseases cause redness, swelling, heat, and pain, which are the signs and symptoms of inflammation. But other illnesses can cause the same symptoms. The symptoms of autoimmune diseases can come and go. During a flare-up, your symptoms may get severe for a while.
Avoid high doses of vitamin C, beta carotene, cat's claw, echinacea and ginseng, among others. Why add fuel to the fire? Doing so may cause you to slip out of remission and into more misery. I'll share some tips in the space provided, but there are so many other nutrients.
Foods such as red meat, dairy, pastry, and beverages containing caffeine and alcohol trigger systemic inflammation, aggravating the autoimmune disease. If you are struggling with this condition, check out the most common foods that worsen autoimmune diseases so you can avoid them altogether.
Left unaddressed, chronic inflammation can damage healthy cells, tissues and organs, and may cause internal scarring, tissue death and damage to the DNA in previously healthy cells. Ultimately, this can lead to the development of potentially disabling or life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer or Type-2 diabetes.
These are the most common: Pathogens (germs) like bacteria, viruses or fungi. External injuries like scrapes or damage through foreign objects (for example a thorn in your finger) Effects of chemicals or radiation.
The exact cause of autoimmune disorders is unknown. One theory is that some microorganisms (such as bacteria or viruses) or drugs may trigger changes that confuse the immune system.
Immunofluorescence is particularly useful as an initial screening test for those individuals suspected of having an autoimmune disease – SLE, Sjögren's syndrome, RA, mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), scleroderma, polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM).
C-Reactive Protein (CRP): A high CRP can be a marker for inflammation and immune activity and help screen for autoimmune disorders.
Autoimmune diseases can affect many types of tissues and nearly any organ in your body. They may cause a variety of symptoms including pain, tiredness (fatigue), rashes, nausea, headaches, dizziness and more. Specific symptoms depend on the exact disease.
Some common autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes mellitus, are relatively easy to diagnose, while others, such as vasculitis, Addison's disease, lupus, and other rheumatic diseases, are more difficult. Additionally, many of the 100-plus autoimmune diseases are uncommon or rare.
Autoimmune disorders that specifically affect the muscles, joints, and nerves include rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Polymyalgia rheumatica, which also involves the joints, is thought to be an autoimmune condition, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
Myositis (my-o-SY-tis) is a rare type of autoimmune disease that inflames and weakens muscle fibers. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's own immune system attacks itself. In the case of myositis, the immune system attacks healthy muscle tissue, which results in inflammation, swelling, pain, and eventual weakness.
Autoimmune diseases can appear with a variety of symptoms. “Some of the common signs are joint and muscle pain, swelling, fatigue and weakness. Other less common symptoms include rash, fever, weight loss and dry eyes. They may be specific to an organ system, like chest pain, breathing problems or blood clots,” Dr.
Blood tests known as 'inflammatory markers' can detect inflammation in the body, caused by many diseases including infections, auto-immune conditions and cancers. The tests don't identify what's causing the inflammation: it might be as simple as a viral infection, or as serious as cancer.
A CRP test may be used to help find or monitor inflammation in acute or chronic conditions, including: Infections from bacteria or viruses.
Vitamin D has a key role in modulating immune function with important consequences on health maintenance and disease occurrence, particularly autoimmune disorders. Low serum levels of 25(OH)D have been associated with increased risk of autoimmune disease onset and/or high disease activity.
Three factors are at play in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases: genes, immune system, and the environment where the patient lives. The genes confer what is called "predisposition" or genetic susceptibility.
Protection against autoimmune diseases
Comparatively, within the acquired immune system, the caffeine content within coffee potentially suppresses the proliferation of Th1 and Th2 cells. As a result, coffee can reduce the damage caused by the release of cytokines due to overactive T- and B-cells.
Antinuclear antibody, or ANA, testing has been used as a blood test for autoimmune disease diagnosis for more than 50 years. The ANA test is still considered the gold standard for initial screening for SLE due to the test's high sensitivity for identifying individuals who may have SLE.