Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases collectively affect around 5-8% of the population worldwide, with women being more commonly affected than men.

There is no exact number of autoimmune diseases that exist, as new diseases continue to be discovered and classified as autoimmune. Estimates vary, but it is believed that there are more than 100 different autoimmune diseases that have been identified and classified so far.

Here we list most autoimmune diseases and give a brief description and symptoms for each:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing inflammation that can result in severe damage. Symptoms of RA can include joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function.
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: In this condition, the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, leading to chronic inflammation and impaired function. This often results in hypothyroidism, with symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, depression, and sensitivity to cold.
• Type 1 Diabetes: This autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells (beta cells) in the pancreas. This results in the body’s inability to produce insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. Symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, and fatigue.
• Psoriasis: This autoimmune skin disorder leads to rapid skin cell turnover, causing raised, red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. Psoriasis can be associated with psoriatic arthritis, which leads to joint damage and pain.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). The immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve fibers (myelin), causing communication issues between your brain and the rest of your body. Symptoms can include fatigue, difficulty walking, numbness or weakness, and problems with coordination and balance.
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): Commonly known as Lupus, SLE is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, and other organs. It’s characterized by periods of illness and remission and can manifest through symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, and fever.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Symptoms often include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss.
• Graves’ Disease: Graves’ disease, another autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid, results in overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). Symptoms can include rapid heart rate, weight loss, nervousness or irritability, and heat sensitivity.
• Celiac Disease: This is an autoimmune disease triggered by consumption of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. The immune system response leads to inflammation and damage in the lining of the small intestine, causing symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, fatigue, and anemia.
• ASIA syndrome (Autoimmune/Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants) – As the name suggests, it refers to a set of conditions where autoimmune and inflammatory responses are triggered by adjuvants, substances that enhance the body’s immune response to an antigen. Adjuvants are commonly used in vaccines to boost the immune system’s response. However, in certain susceptible individuals, the immune system may overreact, leading to the development of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. These can include symptoms or diseases such as chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pain, neurological cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, and skin manifestations.
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): Also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), CFS is a complex and poorly understood condition characterized by extreme, unexplained fatigue, along with a variety of other symptoms such as post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive impairment. The underlying cause of CFS is still unclear, but some scientists believe it might involve an overactive immune response.
• Post-COVID syndrome (Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), often referred to as “long COVID”): Describes a range of symptoms that continue for weeks or even months after the acute phase of a COVID-19 infection. These can include fatigue, difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”), difficulty breathing, headache, joint or muscle pain, depression or anxiety, and the loss of smell or taste, among others. Recent research suggests a potential link between Post-COVID Syndrome and Autoimmunity, opening a new frontier in our understanding of this complex and perplexing condition.
• Vitiligo: This autoimmune disease leads to the loss of melanin, the pigment that gives the skin its color, resulting in white patches on the skin. It can affect any part of the body.
• Sjögren’s Syndrome: This is a systemic autoimmune disease that often affects the salivary and tear glands, leading to symptoms like dry eyes and mouth. Other parts of the body can also be affected.
• Pernicious Anemia (PA): PA is a type of anemia that happens when the body can’t absorb enough vitamin B-12 from the digestive tract, leading to a reduced amount of red blood cells. It’s caused by a lack of a protein made in the stomach.
• Addison’s Disease: Also known as primary adrenal insufficiency – this is a rare disorder where the immune system gradually destroys the adrenal glands’ outer layer, leading to a deficiency of certain hormones. Symptoms may include fatigue, muscle weakness, low mood, and darkening of the skin.
• Myasthenia Gravis (MG): MG is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the skeletal muscles. Symptoms include weakness in the arm and leg muscles, double vision, drooping eyelids, and difficulties with speech, chewing, swallowing, and breathing.
• Autoimmune Vasculitis: This involves the immune system attacking and inflaming the blood vessels. Symptoms vary depending on the organs affected but can include fever, fatigue, weight loss, muscle and joint pain, and nerve problems.
• Alopecia Areata: This is an autoimmune disease that leads to hair loss on the scalp and other parts of the body. It can result in a few bald patches or complete hair loss.
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR): PMR causes muscle pain and stiffness, especially in the shoulders. Symptoms often appear quickly and are worse in the morning.

Here we list most autoimmune diseases and give a brief description and symptoms for each:

• Guillain-Barré Syndrome: This is a rare neurological disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, leading to muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. Symptoms start as weakness and tingling in the extremities and can progress to muscle weakness or paralysis.
• Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC): PBC is a type of liver disease caused by damage to the bile ducts in the liver. Over time, this can lead to scarring and liver failure.
• Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC): PSC is a chronic liver disease caused by progressive inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts of the liver. The disease progresses slowly and can ultimately lead to liver failure, necessitating liver transplantation.
• Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH): AIH is a chronic disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the liver cells, leading to inflammation and potentially serious liver damage. Symptoms can include fatigue, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), and abdominal discomfort.
• Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma): In this condition, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, leading to hardening and scarring (fibrosis) of the skin and internal organs such as the heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. The disease can lead to a wide range of symptoms and complications, depending on the parts of the body affected. These can include skin thickening and tightening, Raynaud’s phenomenon (a condition where the fingers and toes react abnormally to cold), heartburn, difficulty swallowing, and shortness of breath among others.
• Dermatomyositis: An inflammatory disease, dermatomyositis results in muscle weakness and a distinctive skin rash. It affects the muscles closest to the trunk, such as those around the neck, shoulders, and hips. It’s most common in adults in their late 40s to early 60s and children between 5 and 15 years old.
• Autoimmune Encephalitis: In this condition, the immune system attacks the brain, leading to inflammation. Symptoms can include memory loss, sleep disorders, speech dysfunction, and psychosis.
• Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP): ITP is an autoimmune condition where the immune system destroys platelets, which are necessary for blood clotting. Symptoms can include easy or excessive bruising, superficial bleeding into the skin, prolonged bleeding from cuts, and blood in urine or stools.
• Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA): A group of conditions where the immune system attacks and destroys the body’s red blood cells, leading to fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath.
• Autoimmune Urticaria: In this condition, also known as chronic hives, the immune system attacks healthy skin cells, leading to symptoms such as red, itchy hives on the skin. It’s thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction that leads the body to release histamine and other chemicals into the bloodstream.
• Goodpasture’s Syndrome: In this condition, the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the lungs and kidneys, leading to symptoms like coughing up blood, shortness of breath, and blood in the urine.
• Pemphigus Vulgaris: This is an extremely rare autoimmune disorder characterized by blisters and sores in the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, and sometimes the genitals.
• Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA): Formerly known as Wegener’s granulomatosis, GPA is an uncommon type of inflammation of small arteries and veins (vasculitis). It can restrict blood flow to various organs, most often the lungs, kidneys, and sinuses.
• Relapsing Polychondritis: This is an uncommon degenerative disease characterized by severe inflammation of cartilage in various areas of the body. The areas that are most commonly affected are the ears, nose, joints, spine, and windpipe.
• Autoimmune Pancreatitis (AIP): AIP is a chronic inflammation that is thought to be caused by the body’s immune system attacking the pancreas. It can cause abdominal pain, jaundice, and unintended weight loss.
• Autoimmune Myocarditis: Inflammation of the heart muscle that can affect the heart muscle and the heart’s electrical system, reducing the heart’s ability to pump and causing rapid or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, fluid retention leading to swelling in the ankles, legs, and abdomen, and rapid or irregular heartbeats.
• Eosinophilic Fasciitis (Shulman syndrome): Is a rare disease that involves the inflammation and thickening of the skin and connective tissues surrounding the muscles. While the exact cause is unknown, it’s often classified as an autoimmune disease.
• Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APS): APS is a disorder characterized by the immune system attacking certain proteins in the blood, increasing the risk of blood clots. Symptoms can include blood clots in legs (DVT), stroke, and pregnancy complications; it’s also known as Hughes syndrome.
• Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease (AIED): AIED is a rare condition where the body’s immune system attacks the cells in the inner ear, leading to progressive hearing loss and/or imbalance. Symptoms include sudden or rapidly progressive bilateral hearing loss, and sometimes tinnitus and vertigo.
• Polyarteritis Nodosa: This is a serious blood vessel disease where the small and medium-sized arteries become swollen and damaged. It’s a rare condition that can affect various organs, particularly the nerves, intestines, and heart.
• Behcet’s Disease: A rare disorder that causes blood vessel inflammation throughout the body, leading to numerous symptoms which can include mouth sores, eye inflammation, and skin rashes.

Here we list most autoimmune diseases and give a brief description and symptoms for each:

• Giant Cell Arteritis (Temporal Arteritis): This autoimmune condition causes inflammation of the arteries, often in the scalp. Symptoms can include headache, scalp tenderness, jaw pain, and blurred or double vision.
• Autoimmune Oophoritis: This condition involves the immune system attacking the ovaries, which can lead to ovarian failure and infertility. Symptoms may include irregular or absent periods and early onset of menopause.
• Ankylosing Spondylitis (Spondyloarthropathies): Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis primarily affecting the spine, causing inflammation between the spinal bones and at the joints between the spine and pelvis. Symptoms include back pain and stiffness. The spine’s bones (vertebrae) may grow or fuse together, resulting in a rigid spine.
• Juvenile Arthritis: This is the term used to describe arthritis, or inflammation of the joints, in children under the age of 17 and can cause persistent joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. The most common type of juvenile arthritis is juvenile idiopathic arthritis, also known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
• Autoimmune Orchitis: Is a rare condition characterized by chronic inflammation of the testes, which can result in testicular damage and potential fertility issues .
• Takayasu’s Arteritis: This is a rare type of vasculitis that affects the aorta and its major branches. Symptoms can include pain and tenderness over the affected artery, vision changes, and reduced pulse.
• Neuromyelitis Optica (Devic’s Disease): Also known as Devic’s disease, this autoimmune disorder affects the optic nerves (optic neuritis) and spinal cord (myelitis). Symptoms can include blindness in one or both eyes, weakness or paralysis in the legs or arms, painful spasms, and loss of sensation.
• Autoimmune Retinopathy: AIR is a rare disease in which the body’s immune system attacks proteins in the retina, leading to vision loss. Symptoms can include progressive vision loss and night blindness.
• Lambert-Eaton Syndrome: Lambert-Eaton Syndrome (also known as Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome or LEMS) is a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the nerve cells controlling muscles. This disorder is characterized by muscle weakness, most often affecting the muscles of the limbs. It often occurs in people with lung cancer.
• Paraneoplastic Pemphigus: This is a rare autoimmune blistering disorder associated with malignancy. It’s characterized by painful blisters and erosions on the skin and mucous membranes.
• Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD): MCTD is an autoimmune disorder that combines features of diseases like lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis. Symptoms can include swollen hands, Raynaud’s phenomenon, arthritis, and muscle weakness.
• Polymyositis: This is an inflammatory disease causing muscle weakness on both sides of the body. It affects muscles closest to the trunk, like those around the neck, shoulders, and hips.
• Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP): CIDP is a neurological disorder characterized by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the legs and arms. The disorder, which is sometimes called chronic relapsing polyneuropathy, is caused by damage to the myelin sheath of the peripheral nerves.
• Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS): SPS is a rare neurological disorder characterized by stiffness and functional impairment of the muscles. Symptoms include muscle stiffness, functional impairment, and spasms.
• Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP): ITP is an autoimmune condition where the immune system destroys platelets, which are necessary for blood clotting. Symptoms can include easy or excessive bruising, superficial bleeding into the skin, prolonged bleeding from cuts, and blood in urine or stools.
• PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections): In some children, the body’s immune response to a strep throat infection can result in a variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including obsessive-compulsive behaviors, tics, and mood changes.
• IgA Nephropathy (Berger’s Disease): This kidney disease occurs when an antibody called immunoglobulin A lodges in the kidneys. This can cause local inflammation that, over time, may hamper the kidneys’ ability to filter waste, excess water, and electrolytes from the blood.
• Pyoderma Gangrenosum: This rare, painful skin disease causes large ulcers. Though the exact cause is unknown, it’s often associated with autoimmune conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Sympathetic Ophthalmia (SO): This is a rare autoimmune inflammatory disorder that affects both eyes. If the body’s immune system causes inflammation in one eye (after an injury or surgery), it may “mistakenly” target the other eye, leading to severe inflammation.
• Interstitial Cystitis (Painful Bladder Syndrome): Also known as painful bladder syndrome, IC is a chronic condition causing bladder pressure and pain. While it’s not universally classified as an autoimmune disease, some researchers believe that IC may be an autoimmune condition because the immune system appears to attack the bladder.

Here we list most autoimmune diseases and give a brief description and symptoms for each.

• Churg-Strauss Syndrome (Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis): CSS is a rare autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation of small to medium-sized blood vessels. It can cause asthma, sinus changes, and neurological problems.
• Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis (APD): APD is a response of the skin to the hormonal changes that happen just before menses. Symptoms can include recurrent skin manifestations such as rashes, hives, blisters, and other skin conditions.
• Pulmonary Fibrosis: Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred. This thickened, stiff tissue makes it more difficult for your lungs to work properly. Some forms of pulmonary fibrosis are considered autoimmune diseases.
• Endometriosis: Although not traditionally classified as an autoimmune disease, recent research suggests that endometriosis may have an autoimmune component. This condition occurs when endometrial-like tissue grows outside of the uterus, causing pain, inflammation, and sometimes fertility problems.
• Susac’s Syndrome: A rare disorder characterized by three main problems: impaired brain function, partial or complete blockage of the small arteries in the retina, and inner ear disease.
• Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD): UCTD is an autoimmune disease that affects several different areas of the body but does not fulfill the criteria for any specific autoimmune disease. It may evolve into a systemic autoimmune disease over time.
• Polymorphous Light Eruption (PMLE): An itchy rash caused by sun exposure in people who have developed sensitivity to sunlight.
• Autoimmune Angioedema: The immune system produces antibodies against a protein called C1 inhibitor, which plays a critical role in controlling inflammation in the body. Autoimmune angioedema can cause sudden and recurrent attacks of severe swelling in various parts of the body, including the face, hands, feet, genitals, gastrointestinal tract, and throat. Swelling in the throat can be life-threatening.
• Achalasia: In this rare disorder, the lower esophageal sphincter fails to relax properly, making it difficult for food and liquid to pass into the stomach. There is evidence that autoimmune processes can play a role in this disease.
• Palindromic Rheumatism (PR): A rare type of inflammatory arthritis causing episodic pain, redness, swelling, and disability of one (monoarticular) or multiple (polyarticular) joints.
• Morphea (Localized Scleroderma): Morphea, also known as localized scleroderma, is a type of skin condition that causes hard, discolored patches on the skin. This condition can affect people of any age, but it most commonly appears between the ages of 20 and 50
• Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid (OCP): A rare, chronic, and potentially blinding disorder characterized by progressive inflammation and scarring of the conjunctiva (the membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the white part of the eyes).
• Pemphigoid Gestationis (PG): This is a rare pregnancy-associated autoimmune skin disease characterized by blistering skin lesions. It usually begins in the second or third trimester of pregnancy but can occur at any point during pregnancy or up to six weeks postpartum.
• Autoimmune Prostatitis: In this condition, the immune system mistakenly attacks the prostate gland, causing inflammation and pain. Autoimmune prostatitis can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain in the lower pelvic area, discomfort when urinating, frequent urination, and potentially, sexual dysfunction.
• Uveitis: Uveitis is inflammation of the uvea, which is the middle layer of the eye between the sclera and the retina. It may occur from both infectious and non-infectious causes, including autoimmune diseases..
• Lichen Planus: Lichen Planus is an inflammatory condition that can affect the skin, hair, nails, and mucous membranes. While the exact cause is unknown, it’s believed to be related to an abnormal immune response. On the skin, lichen planus usually appears as purplish, often itchy, flat-topped bumps.
• Transverse Myelitis: A neurological condition where both sides of a section of the spinal cord become inflamed, damaging nerve fibers and causing pain and other symptoms.
• Reiter’s Syndrome (Reactive Arthritis): This type of arthritis is a reaction to an infection in the body. It can cause inflammation and pain in the joints, skin, eyes, bladder, genitals, and mucous membranes.
• Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS): ALPS is a rare genetic disorder that affects both children and adults causing an abnormal increase of white blood cells called lymphocytes. Symptoms include an enlarged liver, spleen, and lymph nodes, and an increased risk of lymphoma.
• Lupus Nephritis: A serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) where the kidneys become inflamed.

Here we list most autoimmune diseases and give a brief description and symptoms for each:

• Cogan’s Syndrome: It’s a rare disorder characterized by inflammation of the eyes and ears, which can lead to vision and hearing loss. The syndrome can also affect other parts of the body, such as blood vessels, heart, and nerves.
• Pemphigus Foliaceus: This is an autoimmune blistering disease, which means the body’s immune system attacks its own skin. It is characterized by crusty sores that often begin on the face or scalp and later may develop on other parts of the body.
• Paraneoplastic Neurologic Syndromes (PNS): PNS are a group of conditions that affect the nervous system in patients with cancer. It is believed that these symptoms occur when the immune system reacts to the cancer and mistakenly attacks normal cells in the nervous system.
• IgG4-related Disease: This is a recently recognized systemic condition characterized by high levels of serum IgG4. It can affect various parts of the body, causing tumour-like swelling.
• Pemphigus Vegetans: A rare variant of pemphigus vulgaris, it causes blisters, erosions, and vegetating lesions primarily in the folds of the skin.
• Cryoglobulinemia: A condition characterized by the presence of abnormal proteins (cryoglobulins) in the blood that become solid or gel-like in cold temperatures. This can cause a range of symptoms, including fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, and kidney problems.
• Bullous Pemphigoid: It’s a skin disorder characterized by the formation of large, fluid-filled blisters (bullae) on areas of skin that are often flexed, such as the lower abdomen, upper thighs, and armpits.
• Autoimmune Aplastic Anemia: A rare condition in which the body stops producing enough new blood cells, which leads to fatigue and higher risk of infections and uncontrolled bleeding.
• Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN): In MMN, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks normal cells, specifically the nerves that control muscles, leading to muscle weakness. The exact cause is not known, but it’s thought to involve the production of antibodies that attack the nerves.
• Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE): DLE is a chronic skin condition characterized by inflammation and scarring-type lesions which occur on the face, ears, scalp, and at other body areas. These changes can lead to permanent scarring and hair loss.
• Linear IgA Disease (LAD): In this condition, the immune system produces antibodies known as IgA that mistakenly attack the skin and mucous membranes, leading to the formation of blisters and rashes.
• Autoimmune Enteropathy: A rare disorder where the immune system attacks the cells of the intestinal wall, causing chronic diarrhea and malabsorption of nutrients.
• Eosinophilic Pneumonia: This is a very rare respiratory disease in which eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, accumulate in the lungs’ air sacs. Symptoms can range from mild cough and breathlessness to severe respiratory failure.
• IPEX Syndrome (Immune dysregulation, Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropathy, X-linked Syndrome): This is a rare genetic disorder that affects the immune system, leading to severe autoimmune reactions. Symptoms include severe diarrhea, skin rashes, diabetes, and thyroid disease.

These diseases can affect almost any part of the body, and their symptoms can vary widely depending on the specific disease and the organs and tissues that are affected. While some autoimmune diseases are relatively common, others are extremely rare.

It’s important to note that the prevalence of autoimmune diseases can vary by region and demographic group. While these diseases share certain characteristics, each one is unique in terms of its symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatments.

Remember to consult your healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis if you suspect you may have any of these conditions.

There are many effective treatments available for autoimmune diseases, and early diagnosis can help improve outcomes.