An autoimmune disorder is something that affects your daily function. The autoimmune condition causes the immune system to attack the healthy cells and tissues instead of the harmful substances in the body. For unknown reasons, the immune system is turning up against the body and causes inflammation and overproduction of collagen. It gives you all the stress and anxiety because of the things it does to your physiological aspect. There’s the feeling of discomfort and irritability that you can’t seem to explain. There are symptoms that you may think is normal, but can often mean different.
“Recognize that physical pain may be part of the process.” – Simon Rego, PsyD
Body Pain
Joint and muscle pain are one of the most common signs of the many autoimmunity diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease. It is also common to have gastrointestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s and celiac disease. The inflammation causes the pain of these diseases due to the immune system attacking the different healthy parts of the body. These include the walls of the intestines and the lining of the joints. There’s an inability to drown out pain signals that get sent to the brain which causes hypersensitivity.
Chronic Fatigue
Most autoimmune disease patients suffer from fatigue. Though it can be a sign of a lot of other medical and emotional issues, it is still one on top of the list. The reason why there’s fatigue in autoimmune patients is due to overconsumption of energy. Typically, the process of using the body’s energy is okay because the immune system is only trying to take care of the body from daily exposure to environmental toxins. However, when the immune system attacks the body, there’s the experience of having an abnormally high demand for energy level.
“Chronic work stress, insufficient mental health resources, feeling overworked and under supported — these are issues facing too many workers.” – David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA
Rashes And Hives
Rashes and other skin conditions come in many forms in autoimmune diseases. Usually, it appears most prevalent in lupus. The symptom is due to the rapid cell reproduction on the skin. Some of these skin conditions are dry and itchy as well. These are visible in the face, even all over the eyelids. It can also appear in the shoulder, upper chest, on the back, and even around the knuckles. It usually targets the top half of the body. There are some instances that the other types of rashes don’t itch. However, it tends to be painful due to the burning sensation.
Headaches And Migraines
Autoimmune diseases cause migraines and headaches on particular events. The cause of it is commonly due to the inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain. The different toxic substance that gets up in the brain irritates the blood vessels leaving the brain nerves in a dysfunctional state. Generally, when patients deal with headaches, it either there is too much or too little blood flow going to the brain.
Depression
Over about thousands of people diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder are suffering from depression. Compared to other people who are not mentally ill, patients with mental condition are more likely to experience intense pain. That is because of the under-active performing brain. Therefore, the unfortunate road of having autoimmune and depression can go both ways. The mental health condition associated with depression appears to be true in some particular autoimmune diseases. These include multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
“Depression is not sadness over loss. But people can become depressed from persistent and unremitting stress, or as the outcome of trauma, or they may have neurobiology that makes it likely that they will become depressed at some time in their lives for no obvious reason.” – Margaret Wehrenberg, PsyD
Brain Or Mental Fog
Many of the toxins that significantly contribute to autoimmune disease also inhibit the brain’s ability to function correctly. It is a symptom where patients experience mental cloudiness, and they have a difficult time thinking and focusing on things. The condition happens when inflammation occurs near the barrier of the brain. It wears and breaks down the supporting wall. So when that happens, it permits the toxins to pass through the bloodstream causing damage to the brain.
There are still a lot of other symptoms that are common in autoimmune disorders. These include gastrointestinal distress where it involves specific conditions like bloating, constipation, stomach cramping, vomiting, and even diarrhea. If you find having more of these symptoms, you may be an excellent candidate for autoimmune disease. Therefore, it is best that you pay attention to your health and consult a doctor to get a proper diagnosis and treatment immediately.