Your body comprised of an immune system that defends your body from foreign invaders and also fights various infections to help you live a healthy life. Scientifically, the autoimmune system is one of the major systems in the body consisting of the white blood cells, spleen, bone marrow, thymus, and the lymph nodes. Certain medical cases can compromise the immune system which triggers it to become outrageous. In this case, it will fail to differentiate between the healthy and required cells and the unwanted cells. As a result, it will attack the healthy cells, something which creates a path for a number of medical conditions.
What are the common ones?
Hair Loss ‘Alopecia Areata”
Generally, hair loss is the commonest symptom of a compromised autoimmune system. However, in a majority of patients, alopecia areata is evidential. For alopecia areata to occur, it is quite a complicated process since in some patients, it is genetically triggered, but in others, researchers believe that the white blood cells mistakenly attack the hair follicles something which disrupts one’s hair growth cycle.
As a result, a patient will witness thinning spots that later culminate into bald circular spots on the scalp termed as alopecia areata. Depending on the extent of the effect, some individuals may only get bald spots on the scalp, whereas others may totally lose their scalp hair “Alopecia universalis”, or may lose hair from the entire body (eyebrows, eyelashes, beards).
Alopecia areata is a frustrating condition with no cure. Some patients may regrow their hair with prescribed autoimmune medications, whereas others may fail to regain it.
The Hashimoto’s Disease
Also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, this occurs in case the immune system (cells) attacks the thyroid gland. It must be noted that the thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that regulate the body’s mechanisms. Commonly, Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism are the common triggers of hair loss in females. Possible symptoms of the Hashimoto’s Disease include hair loss, fatigue, muscle aches, weakness among others. The disease is treated with synthetic hormones, which is basically a replacement therapy.
Lupus
It is a systemic autoimmune disease that causes an inflammation to attack your joints, blood cells, brain, skin, among others. Some of the commonest symptoms of lupus include fatigue, hair loss, butterfly rash on the face, anaemia, painful joints, headaches, and abnormal blood clotting.
Its exact cause is unknown, but researchers believe that it may run in families, or occur due to hormonal imbalances, an infection, sun exposure, among others.
