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Autoimmune disease is a condition when the immune system, which is supposed to protect body cells from disease, attacks healthy body cells. It's still rarely known, even though autoimmune diseases often appear in everyday life. So, how dangerous are the effects of autoimmune diseases for the health of the body?
How dangerous are the effects of autoimmune diseases?
There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases. However, only a few diseases are common and may be familiar to your ears, such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, colitis, myasthenia gravis, and celiac.
Each of these autoimmune diseases causes various symptoms. This is because the body cells that are attacked by the immune system in these autoimmune diseases are not the same. In other words, the effects of autoimmune diseases react in the body in different ways depending on the type of disease.
For example, in multiple sclerosis the part of the body that is attacked is the central nervous system, while in celiac disease the part of the body that is experiencing problems is the digestive tract.
In addition, a person's risk for experiencing autoimmune diseases is generally not always the same. Gender, environment, and heredity are some of the factors that determine the occurrence of autoimmune diseases, reported on the Healthline page.
Expressed by Mary J. Shomon, an author of a book entitled Living Well With Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You That You Need to Know , that although it often looks quite severe and is classified as chronic, the effect of this autoimmune disease is not fatal.
It's just that, as with other types of diseases, the effects of autoimmune diseases on the body are not kidding. In fact, it can even make the sufferer feel unable to carry out daily activities.
If later it is found that there are cases of death caused by autoimmune diseases, such as in a study published in the American Public Health Association, it depends on the health condition and the severity of the disease being experienced.
So, can autoimmune diseases be cured?
Unfortunately, until now there is no cure that really guarantees all types of autoimmune diseases can be completely cured. However, don't be discouraged just yet, because early diagnosis and regular treatment are actually the right steps to help prevent and control recurrence of symptoms.
While complying with the doctor's recommendations for disease treatment, people with any type of autoimmune disease are also advised to avoid various triggering factors that can make the disease progression worse.
In his book on autoimmune diseases, Shomon also said that people who have autoimmune diseases can better sort out the types of food and drink they consume. The reason is, there are several foods that are predicted to interfere with the work of the immune system in the body, such as too much sugar, wheat, milk, corn, soybeans, and shellfish.
That's why it's important to adhere to the daily diet recommended by your doctor, while keeping your body and environment clean to minimize the risk of infection.
Don't forget, people with autoimmune diseases must always comply with and undergo all treatment according to the type of disease, in order to maintain a healthy body condition and reduce the possibility of recurrence of symptoms.
