The incidence and prevalence of autoimmune diseases like lupus, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes are escalating incessantly. Researchers, however, could not pinpoint a single cause that gives rise to autoimmune disorders. Hence, most people prefer to take the “What autoimmune disease do I have quiz”. This way, they can test their knowledge of these diseases. Commonly autoimmune diseases are pretty common, and these diseases end up affecting 23.5+ million Americans. These diseases become the top causes of disability and, in the worst condition, death. A few autoimmune diseases seem to be rare, whereas others, like Hashimoto’s disease, end up affecting several people.
What gives rise to autoimmune disease?
A person suffers from autoimmune disease if the natural defense of his body fails to differentiate between body cells and foreign cells. And it results in the defense mechanism of people’s bodies to attack the common cells. There are more than eighty types of autoimmune diseases, and they affect many body parts.
A few common autoimmune disorders that are noted are:
- Thyroid diseases – Thyroid diseases happen when a person’s body mistakes thyroid hormone.
- Rheumatoid arthritis – Rheumatoid arthritis attacks a person’s joints.
- Psoriasis – When people suffer from psoriasis, they suffer from thick and scaly patches that appear on their skin.
- Lupus – Lupus damages various parts of a person’s body that, includes the joints, the organs, and the skin.
Some people suffer from serious signs of autoimmune disorders, but some people suffer from only mild signs. And there are differing degrees of these disorders that are connected to several factors, such as environment, genetics, and a person’s health.
The risk factors of autoimmune diseases
Though researchers are still not aware of the exact causes of autoimmune disorders, they put forward many theories that attack a person’s body after an injury or injection. A few risk factors that escalate a person’s opportunity to form autoimmune diseases are:
- Weight – If you are obese or overweight, your chances of suffering from psoriatic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis increase. And it happens as more weight makes the joints more stressed.
- Genetics – Some kinds of diseases like MS or multiple sclerosis and lupus are hereditary, and when a person suffers from autoimmune disorders, they escalate the risk factors. However, it doesn’t mean that people will suffer from this disease for sure.
- Some kinds of medications – Some antibiotics or medications for BP do escalate drug-induced lupus, and most often, it results in a benign kind of lupus. Myopathy is regarded as a rare autoimmune disorder that makes a person’s muscles weak. Hence, before you stop or start taking any medicines, you need to have a consultation with your healthcare provider.
- Smoking – According to research, smoking gives rise to many kinds of autoimmune diseases that, include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, and hyperthyroidism.
The bottom line
There are more than eighty kinds of autoimmune disorders, and with time, the signs of different conditions of these disorders overlap. Hence, at times, these disorders become tough to diagnose. Most people take the “What autoimmune disease do I have quiz” to diagnose autoimmune disorders that are commonly seen in women or certain families. The purpose of the quiz is to understand the signs of autoimmune diseases better and provide people with more details.
