Common autoimmune diseases

This is an automatically translated article.

Autoimmune disease is one of the common diseases that can be dangerous if not treated in time. The disease includes more than 180 different types, common in young people, women are more susceptible to the disease than men.

1. What is an autoimmune disease?

When a person's immune system is disordered and cannot distinguish self-antigens from foreign antigens and attacks the body's own cells, thereby giving rise to diseases called autoimmune diseases. exempt. The disease is common in young people (from 20 to 40 years old), women often have autoimmune diseases more than men; The elderly and children are less susceptible. The disease can progress in stages, from mild to more severe and complex. If not detected and treated promptly autoimmune disease can lead to many dangerous complications.

2. Causes of autoimmune diseases

There are many causes of autoimmune diseases, including:
Environmental pollution: The immune system can be damaged directly from chemical poisoning (such as mercury, lead, hair dye, etc.) pesticides,...) At this time, the body's tissues are damaged and changed, making the immune system unable to distinguish from foreign antigens, leading to autoimmune disease. In particular, lupus erythematosus will become more serious in polluted living conditions. Disruption of gut bacteria: The overuse of antibiotics or oral contraceptives causes the intestinal microflora to be out of balance, leading to immune system disorders. Infection: It is the cause of some autoimmune diseases such as spondylitis, rheumatic fever, etc. The immune system confuses body cells with germs and attacks those cells. Vitamin D deficiency: Vitamin D has a role in supporting the immune system, so a deficiency in vitamin D weakens the immune system.

3. Common autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases have more than 180 different types, but the article only covers the most common autoimmune diseases.
Systemic lupus erythematosus Lupus erythematosus is a skin disease. The disease presents with a seemingly common rash, but if the rash appears all over the body, this can affect other organs in the body such as the kidneys, joints, heart and brain. Systemic lupus erythematosus is commonly characterized by rash, fatigue, and joint pain.
Psoriasis People with psoriasis often have silver or white scales that appear on the skin. This is because the process of creating new skin cells happens too quickly, causing them to accumulate and form red, inflamed patches. According to research, about 30% of people with psoriasis have symptoms such as stiffness, swelling, and pain in the joints – known as psoriatic arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis is when the immune system malfunctions and mistakenly attacks the joints, resulting in hot, red, painful stiffness. This form of the disease does not only appear in the elderly like common arthritis but can appear earlier, usually in the 30s.

Type 1 diabetes In normal people, the pancreas has a role to secrete the hormone insulin to regulate blood sugar at an appropriate threshold. However, the immune system in people with type 1 diabetes attacks and destroys those insulin-producing cells. This leads to uncontrolled and elevated blood sugar levels. Eventually damage many other organs such as nerves, eyes, kidneys and heart.
Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis destroys the protective layer around nerve cells in the central nervous system - called the myelin sheath, which affects the transmission and reception of signals between the brain and spinal cord. With multiple sclerosis, people may have difficulty walking, or keeping their balance. The disease can develop into many different serious forms.

4. How to prevent autoimmune diseases?

Some tips to help patients avoid autoimmune diseases are:
Establish and maintain a healthy, scientific lifestyle to protect the immune system optimally. Have a reasonable diet, avoid falling into obesity because obesity can increase the risk of autoimmune diseases such as psoriatic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Exercise and exercise regularly to improve resistance. Maintain regular health check-ups 1-2 times/year to be able to detect early diseases related to the immune system in general and other dangerous diseases in general. When suspected of having an autoimmune disease, it is necessary to see a doctor immediately, not arbitrarily use drugs of unknown origin.

Periodic health checkup is one of the ways to early recognize and prevent diseases, especially for autoimmune diseases, from which to have a treatment plan to achieve optimal results. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a reasonable price policy, including:
Health checkup package general Vip Special general health checkup package Standard general health checkup package Patient's examination results will be returned to your home. After receiving the results of the general health examination, if you detect diseases that require intensive examination and treatment, you can use services from other specialties at the Hospital with quality treatment and services. outstanding customer service.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.