User:Juliaboat/sandbox

Autoimmune diseases present similar symptoms across the more than eighty different types. The appearance and severity of these signs and symptoms depends on the location and type of autoimmune response that occurs. An individual may also have more than one autoimmune disease simultaneously, and display symptoms of multiple diseases. Signs and symptoms presented, and the disease itself, can be influenced by various other factors such as age, hormones, and environmental factors. In general, the common symptoms are:


 * Fatigue
 * Low grade fever
 * General feeling of unwell (malaise)
 * Muscle aches and joint pain
 * Rash on different areas of the skin

The appearance of these signs and symptoms can fluctuate, and when they reappear, it is known as a flare-up. Such signs and symptoms may aid in diagnosis by supporting the results from biologic markers of autoimmune diseases.

There are several areas that are commonly impacted by autoimmune diseases. These areas include: blood vessels, underlying connective tissues, joints and muscles, red blood cells, skin, and endocrine glands, like thyroid or pancreas glands.

These diseases tend to have characteristic pathological effects which characterize them as an autoimmune disease. Such features include damage to or destruction of tissues where there is an abnormal immune response, altered organ growth, and altered organ function depending on the location of the disease. Some diseases are organ specific and are restricted to affecting certain tissues, while others are systemic diseases that impact many tissues throughout the body. Signs and symptoms may vary depending on which of these categories an individual’s disease falls under.

Treatment
Treatment depends on the type and severity of the condition. The majority of the autoimmune diseases are chronic and there is no definitive cure, but symptoms can be alleviated and controlled with treatment. Overall, the aim of the various treatment methods is to lessen the presented symptoms for relief and manipulate the body’s autoimmune response, while still preserving the ability of the patient to combat diseases that they may encounter. Traditional treatment options may include immunosuppressant drugs to weaken the overall immune response, such as:


 * Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce inflammation
 * Glucocorticoids to reduce inflammation
 * Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to decrease the damaging tissue and organ effects of the inflammatory autoimmune response

Other standard treatment methods include:


 * Vitamin or hormone supplements for what the body is lacking due to the disease (insulin, vitamin B12, thyroid hormone, etc.)
 * Blood transfusions if the disease is blood related
 * Physical therapy if the disease impacts bones, joints, or muscles

Because these drugs aim to reduce the immune response against the body’s own tissues, there are side effects of these traditional treatment methods, such as being more vulnerable to infections that can potentially be life threatening. There are new advancements in medicine for the treatment of autoimmune diseases that are currently being researched, developed, and used today, especially when traditional treatment options fail. These methods aim to either block the activation of pathogenic cells in the body, or alter the pathway that suppresses these cells naturally. The goal for these advancements is to have treatment options available that are less toxic to the patient, and have more specific targets. Such options include:


 * Monoclonal antibodies that can be used to block pro-inflammatory cytokines
 * Antigen-specific immunotherapy which allows immune cells to specifically target the abnormal cells that cause autoimmune disease
 * Costimulatory blockade that works to block the pathway that leads to the autoimmune response
 * Regulatory T cell therapy that utilizes this special type of T cell to suppress the autoimmune response