Autoimmune Conditions

For some people, the immune system does not work properly & some people may get sick when the system is not balanced & becomes over active. When the immune system is overactive it causes harm to itself by attacking parts of the body as if it was the enemy. The immune system mistakenly begins attacking specific healthy cells & tissues & fails to shut off. This is called autoimmune illness.

Some autoimmune illnesses focus on one type of tissue or organ (organ specific), others cause problems more widely throughout the body (non-organ-specific or systemic). There is nothing you could have done to stop yourself getting the condition. We also know that you cannot catch the condition from other people or give it to them.

There are lots of different autoimmune illnesses, but examples of some of the more common illnesses are:

Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (also called SLE or lupus) is an autoimmune condition. The normal role of your body’s immune system is to fight off infections and diseases to keep you healthy. In an autoimmune disease like lupus, your immune system starts attacking your own healthy tissues.

Scleroderma

The word ‘scleroderma’ means ‘hard skin’. Scleroderma affects the connective tissues of the body (tissues that hold together joints, muscles, blood vessels and internal organs). Symptoms vary greatly from person to person and also depend on what part of the body is involved.

Sjögren’s syndrome

Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune condition. The normal role of your body’s immune system is to fight off infections and diseases to keep you healthy. In an autoimmune disease like Sjögren’s syndrome, your immune system starts attacking your own healthy tissues.

Raynaud’s Phenomenon

Raynaud’s phenomenon is the temporary interruption of blood supply to the fingers or toes (occasionally the ears and nose), which occurs as a result of spasm causing the vessel to squeeze and get smaller. This reduces blood flow to many areas particularly those that have a lot of small blood vessels.

Other Autoimmune Conditions

Fact sheets on other Autoimmune Conditions including:

- Lichen Sclerosus
- PAH
- Thyroid Hashimotos
- Uveitis
- Vasculitis

Autoimmune Resources

Find fact sheets on:

- Breathing for Relaxation
- Coping with Fatigue
- Coping with Stress
- Dry skin: A burden for all