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Simply, its your bodies immune defense system, seeing parts of your body as foreign objects, and therefore attacks them as if they were. The same as it does with a virus, bacteria or infection. More complex, this immune response can effect practically every system in the body, hence the over 150 diseases now known. Take for example, one of the more known autoimmune conditions, Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The immune system sees the protective myelin coating around inflamed axions (nerve bundles) as foreign. These immune cells then attack this myelin coating, thereby destroying parts of the nerves ability to protect itself. Exposed areas of the axion may then be severed, leading to permanent loss of that axion, and therefore total loss of that nerve function. Thats just one example of a particular body system during an autoimmune response. It is basically the same for any other autoimmune disease, the only difference is the part of the body, or system of the body, that the immune system sees as foreign. In MG its the muscles ACHR receptor site for the chemical the muscles need to contract that are attacked. In lupus, almost every body system may become involved in this attack. What starts this autoimmune response is still unknown. Through our talks, and contacts with many patients, I would have to say a major stressor, or stress related incident seems to predate the first autoimmune attack in almost every case. Many people have been startled when we ask what happened before your first attack, what major stress causing incident? Almost everyone can remember THE ONE EVENT. Perhaps stress is a trigger for a blanket immune response. Maybe its in conjunction with an underlying infection or subtle illness that causes the immune system to overactivate and/or mutate killer immune cells during times of prolonged high stress situations. Having an infection or illness would already have your immune system in "response mode". Maybe stress, and the hormones that are released during stress amplifies, modifies or mutates immune cells during this response. This should be a new avenue of research. Every autoimmune condition is different, and there is not one test for all of them, and some have no tests at all. It is usually a process of elimination. Find yourself a good doctor in your area, or let us try to find a good doctor for you. Lingering symptoms, fatigue, general weakness, low-grade fever and difficulty concentrating are very general symptoms, making autoimmune diseases hard to diagnose. Sometimes the depression brought on by these lasting symptoms are the reason people see their doctor, and as a side benefit, get their autoimmune diagnosis. Keith W. Yodice (co-founder of AIN) |
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