Conditions
AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS
What is an autoimmune condition?
An autoimmune disease, also known as an immune system disorder, is a condition in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your body. In normal circumstances, the body's immune system attacks foreign disease-causing cells; however, in this case, the immune system is disordered and reacts without the presence of foreign cells. Autoimmune conditions usually cause an abnormally overactive immune response in which the body attacks its own tissues.
What causes an autoimmune condition?
While it is unknown what causes an autoimmune condition, it is believed to be triggered by an infection or injury, and there are certain factors that can increase your risk to developing an immune system disorder such as genetics.
There are over 80 different types of autoimmune diseases of which some affect one organ, while others affect the whole body. The most common autoimmune conditions are:
Rheumatoid arthritis- Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Psoriasis
- Graves' disease
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis
- Myasthenia gravis
- Vasculitis
Treatment options
While these conditions cannot be cured, they can be managed. Because autoimmune diseases cause the immune system to attack the body's own tissues, treatment generally focuses on reducing the immune system's activity, as well as relieving the pain and inflammation caused. This may include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and immune-suppressing drugs. As a physician, Dr Roos can assist in the work-up, diagnosis and management of various autoimmune conditions, with referral to fellow specialists when necessary.
SYMPTOMS
While symptoms will differ depending on the type of autoimmune condition, the early symptoms of many will have some similar symptoms, including:
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Low-grade fever
- Difficulty concentrating
- Hair loss
- Skin rashes
- Numbness in the hands and feet
These symptoms may seem to become worse for a period of time and then go away. This is called a flare-up.
Since these symptoms can be caused by a range of conditions, and more than 80 different autoimmune diseases exist, diagnosis of an autoimmune disease can be tricky. While no single test can diagnose most autoimmune diseases, Dr Roos will use a combination of tests to get a comprehensive understanding of your condition to diagnose you.
