According to the Mayo Clinic, an Autoimmune Disease is defined as; A disease in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells.
A few of the most common Autoimmune Diseases include:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- A chronic inflammatory disorder that affects many joints within the body.
- Lupus*
- An inflammatory disease caused when the immune system attacks its own tissues.
- Celiac Disease*
- An immune reaction to eating Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley & rye.
- Multiple Sclerosis
- A disease in which the immune system eats at the protective covering of the nerves.
- Type 1 Diabetes
- A chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.
- Alopecia Areata
- Sudden hair loss that starts with one or more circular bald patches that overlap.
Credit: Mayo Clinic
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Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease
- Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD) refers to a condition presenting with symptoms and laboratory test results that suggest a systemic autoimmune disorder or connective tissue disease — such as systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), Sjogren’s syndrome, or scleroderma — but for which symptoms are not specific to one type of autoimmune disease. In other words, when your blood tests results can’t confirm which specific autoimmune disease you have, you are diagnosed with UCTD until a specific autoimmune disease is determined.
- Credit: Autoimmune Association
