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Your immune system protects you from disease and infection by attacking germs that get into your body, such as viruses and bacteria. Your immune system can tell that the germs aren't part of you, so it destroys them. If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks the healthy cells of your organs and tissues by mistake.

There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases. They can affect almost any part of your body. For example, alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease of the skin that causes hair loss. Autoimmune hepatitis affects the liver. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the pancreas. And in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system can attack many parts of the body, including the joints, lungs, and eyes.

No one is sure why autoimmune diseases happen. But you can't catch them from other people.

Autoimmune diseases do tend to run in families, which means that certain genes may make some people more likely to develop a problem. Viruses, certain chemicals, and other things in the environment may trigger an autoimmune disease if you already have the genes for it.

Millions of Americans of all ages have autoimmune diseases. Women develop many types of autoimmune diseases much more often than men. And if you have one autoimmune disease, you are more likely to get another.

The symptoms of an autoimmune disease depend on the part of your body that's affected. Many types of autoimmune diseases cause redness, swelling, heat, and pain, which are the signs and symptoms of inflammation. But other illnesses can cause the same symptoms.

The symptoms of autoimmune diseases can come and go. During a flare-up, your symptoms may get severe for a while. Later on, you may have a remission, which means that your symptoms get better or disappear for a period of time.

Doctors often have a hard time diagnosing autoimmune diseases. There's usually not a specific test to show whether you have a certain autoimmune disease. And the symptoms can be confusing. That's because many autoimmune diseases have similar symptoms. And some symptoms, such as muscle aches, are common in many other illnesses. So it can take a long time and some visits to different types of doctors to get a diagnosis.

To help your doctor find out if an autoimmune disease is causing your symptoms,:

• Learn about the health conditions in your family history. What health problems did your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins have? Write down what you learn and share it with your doctor.
• Keep track of your symptoms, including how long they last and what makes them better or worse. Share your notes with your doctor.
• See a specialist who deals with the symptoms that bother you most. For example, if you have rash, see a dermatologist (skin doctor).

The treatment depends on the disease. In most cases, the goal of treatment is to suppress (slow down) your immune system, and ease swelling, redness, and pain from inflammation. Your doctor may give you corticosteroids or other medicines to help you feel better. For some diseases, you may need treatment for the rest of your life.

Giant cell arteritis is a disorder that causes inflammation of your arteries, usually in the scalp, neck, and arms. It narrows the arteries, which keeps blood from flowing well. Giant cell arteritis often occurs with another disorder called polymyalgia rheumatica. Both are more common in women than in men. They almost always affect people over the age of 50.

Early symptoms of giant cell arteritis resemble the flu: fatigue, loss of appetite, and fever. Other symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Pain and tenderness over the temples
• Double vision or visual loss, dizziness
• Problems with coordination and balance
• Pain in your jaw and tongue

Your doctor will make the diagnosis based on your medical history, symptoms, and a physical exam. There is no specific test for giant cell arteritis, but you may have tests that measure inflammation.

Treatment is usually with corticosteroids. Early treatment is important; otherwise there is a risk of permanent vision loss or stroke. However, when properly treated, giant cell arteritis rarely comes back.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disorder that causes muscle pain and stiffness in your neck, shoulders, and hips. It is most common in women and almost always occurs in people over 50. The main symptom is stiffness after resting. Other symptoms include fever, weakness and weight loss. In some cases, polymyalgia rheumatica develops overnight. In others, it is gradual.

The cause of polymyalgia rheumatica is unknown. There is no specific test for it. Your doctor will use your medical history, symptoms, and a physical exam to make the diagnosis. Lab tests for inflammation may help confirm the diagnosis.

Polymyalgia rheumatica sometimes occurs along with giant cell arteritis, a condition that causes swelling of the arteries in your head. Symptoms include headaches and blurred vision. Doctors often prescribe prednisone, a steroid medicine, for both conditions. With treatment, polymyalgia rheumatica usually disappears in a day or two. Without treatment, it usually goes away after a year or more.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

If you feel pain and stiffness in your body or have trouble moving around, you might have arthritis. Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Over time, a swollen joint can become severely damaged. Some kinds of arthritis can also cause problems in your organs, such as your eyes or skin.

Types of arthritis include:

• Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It's often related to aging or to an injury.
• Autoimmune arthritis happens when your body's immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of this kind of arthritis.
• Juvenile arthritis is a type of arthritis that happens in children.
• Infectious arthritis is an infection that has spread from another part of the body to the joint.
• Psoriatic arthritis affects people with psoriasis.
• Gout is a painful type of arthritis that happens when too much uric acid builds up in the body. It often starts in the big toe.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Crohn's disease is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that causes inflammation in your digestive tract. It can affect any part of your digestive tract, which runs from your mouth to your anus. But it usually affects your small intestine and the beginning of your large intestine.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis and microscopic colitis are other common types of IBD.

The cause of Crohn's disease is unknown. Researchers think that an autoimmune reaction may be one cause. An autoimmune reaction happens when your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body. Genetics may also play a role, since Crohn's disease can run in families.

Stress and eating certain foods don't cause the disease, but they can make your symptoms worse.

There are certain factors that may raise your risk of Crohn's disease:

• Family history of the disease. Having a parent, child, or sibling with the disease puts you at higher risk.
• Smoking. This may double your risk of developing Crohn's disease.
• Certain medicines, such as antibiotics, birth-control pills, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen. These may slightly increase your chance of developing Crohn's.
• A high-fat diet. This may also slightly increase your risk of Crohn's.

The symptoms of Crohn's disease can vary, depending where and how severe your inflammation is. The most common symptoms include:

• Diarrhea
• Cramping and pain in your abdomen
• Weight loss

Some other possible symptoms are:

• Anemia, a condition in which you have fewer red blood cells than normal
• Eye redness or pain
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Joint pain or soreness
• Nausea or loss of appetite
• Skin changes that involve red, tender bumps under the skin

Stress and eating certain foods such as carbonated (fizzy) drinks and high-fiber foods may make some people's symptoms worse.

Crohn's disease can cause other problems, including:

• Intestinal obstruction, a blockage in the intestine
• Fistulas, abnormal connections between two parts inside of the body
• Abscesses, pus-filled pockets of infection
• Anal fissures, small tears in your anus that may cause itching, pain, or bleeding
• Ulcers, open sores in your mouth, intestines, anus, or perineum
• Malnutrition, when your body does not get the right amount of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs
• Inflammation in other areas of your body, such as your joints, eyes, and skin

Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

• A medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms
• A family history
• A physical exam, including:
  • Checking for bloating in your abdomen.
  • Listening to sounds within your abdomen using a stethoscope.
  • Tapping on your abdomen to check for tenderness and pain and to see if your liver or spleen is abnormal or enlarged.
• Various tests, including:
  • Blood and stool tests.
  • A colonoscopy.
  • An upper GI endoscopy, a procedure in which your provider uses a scope to look inside your mouth, esophagus, stomach, and small intestine.
  • Diagnostic imaging tests, such as a CT scan or an upper GI series. An upper GI series uses a special liquid called barium and x-rays. Drinking the barium will make your upper GI tract more visible on an x-ray.

There is no cure for Crohn's disease, but treatments can decrease inflammation in your intestines, relieve symptoms, and prevent complications. Treatments include medicines, bowel rest, and surgery. No single treatment works for everyone. You and your provider can work together to figure out which treatment is best for you:

• Medicines for Crohn's include various medicines that decrease the inflammation. Many of these medicines do this by reducing the activity of your immune system. Certain medicines can also help with symptoms or complications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-diarrheal medicines. If your Crohn's causes an infection, you may need antibiotics.
• Bowel rest involves drinking only certain liquids or not eating or drinking anything. This allows your intestines to rest. You may need to do this if your Crohn's disease symptoms are severe. You get your nutrients through drinking a liquid, a feeding tube, or an intravenous (IV) tube. You may need to do bowel rest in the hospital, or you may be able to do it at home. It will last for a few days or up to several weeks.
• Surgery can treat complications and reduce symptoms when other treatments are not helping enough. The surgery will involve removing a damaged part of your digestive tract to treat:
  • Fistulas
  • Bleeding that is life threatening
  • Intestinal obstructions
  • Side effects from medicines when they threaten your health
  • Symptoms when medicines do not improve your condition

Changing your diet can help reduce symptoms. Your provider may recommend that you make changes to your diet, such as:

• Avoiding carbonated drinks
• Avoiding popcorn, vegetable skins, nuts, and other high-fiber foods
• Drinking more liquids
• Eating smaller meals more often
• Keeping a food diary to help identify foods that cause problems

In some cases, your provider may ask you to go on a special diet, such as a diet that is:

• High calorie
• Lactose free
• Low fat
• Low fiber
• Low salt

If you are not absorbing enough nutrients, you may need to take nutritional supplements and vitamins.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), previously known as Wegener's granulomatosis, is a rare disease. It is a type of vasculitis, or inflammation of the blood vessels. The inflammation limits the flow of blood to important organs, causing damage. It can affect any organ, but it mainly affects the sinuses, nose, trachea (windpipe), lungs, and kidneys.

The cause of GPA is unknown. It can affect people at any age. Men and women are equally affected. It is more common in whites. Symptoms may include joint pain, weakness, tiredness, and cold symptoms such as a runny nose that doesn't get better. Doctors use blood tests, chest X-rays, and biopsies to diagnose GPA and rule out other causes of the symptoms.

Early treatment is important. Most people improve with medicines to slow or stop the inflammation.

Hodgkin lymphoma, also called Hodgkin disease, is a type of cancer that develops in the lymph system. Your lymph system is part of your immune system. It helps protect your body from infection and disease.

The lymph system is made up of tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells. It includes your:

• Bone marrow
• Lymph nodes
• Lymphatic vessels
• Spleen
• Thymus
• Tonsils

Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the main types of lymphoma. The other is non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Each type starts in different types of white blood cells.

The cause of Hodgkin lymphoma is unknown. But there are certain people who are at higher risk of developing it.

Certain factors can make you more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma:

• Age. Hodgkin lymphoma is most common in early adulthood (age 20-39 years) and in late adulthood (age 65 years and older).
• Being male. The risk of adult Hodgkin lymphoma is slightly higher in males than in females.
• Past Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Having an infection with EBV as a young child or teenager increases your risk of Hodgkin lymphoma.
• A family history of Hodgkin lymphoma. Having a parent or sibling with Hodgkin lymphoma increases your risk of developing it.

The signs and symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma may include:

• Painless, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin
• Fever for no known reason
• Drenching night sweats (very heavy sweating during sleep)
• Weight loss for no known reason in the past 6 months
• Itchy skin, especially after bathing or drinking alcohol
• Fatigue

To find out if you have Hodgkin lymphoma, your provider:

• Will ask about your symptoms and medical history. This will include checking for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual.
• May order some lab tests, such as:
  • Complete blood count
  • Blood chemistry studies
  • Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) test
  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test
  • Blood tests to rule out other medical conditions
  • May do imaging tests such as a CT and PET (positron emission tomography) scans
  • May do a lymph node biopsy

Treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma include:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells
• Cancer immunotherapy

Hodgkin lymphoma can usually be cured if it is found and treated early.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Kawasaki disease is a rare illness that usually affects small children. Other names for the disease are Kawasaki syndrome and mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. It is a type of vasculitis, which is inflammation of the blood vessels. Kawasaki disease is serious, but most children can fully recover if they are treated right away.

Kawasaki disease happens when the immune system injures the blood vessels by mistake. Researchers do not fully know why this happens. But when it does, the blood vessels become inflamed and can narrow or close off.

Genetics may play a role in Kawasaki disease. There may also be environmental factors, such as infections. It does not seem to be contagious. This means that it cannot be passed from one child to another.

Kawasaki disease usually affects children under the age of 5. But older children and adults can sometimes get it. It is more common in boys than girls. It can affect children of any race, but those with Asian or Pacific Islander descent are more likely to get it.

The symptoms of Kawasaki disease may include:

• High fever lasting at least five days
• A rash, often on the back, chest, and groin
• Swollen hands and feet
• Redness of the lips, lining of the mouth, tongue, palms of the hand, and soles of the feet
• Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck

Contact your child's health care provider if your child has a fever for 4 days, especially if they have any other symptoms of Kawasaki disease.

Sometimes Kawasaki disease can affect the walls of the coronary arteries. These arteries bring blood and oxygen to your heart. This can lead to:

• An aneurysm (bulging and thinning of the walls of the arteries). This can raise the risk of blood clots in the arteries. If the blood clots are not treated, they could lead to a heart attack or internal bleeding.
• Inflammation in the heart.
• Heart valve problems.

Kawasaki disease can also affect other parts of the body, including the brain and nervous system, the immune system, and the digestive system.

There is no specific test for Kawasaki disease. To find out if your child has Kawasaki disease, your child's provider:

• Will do a physical exam, which includes looking at the signs and symptoms
• Will likely order blood and urine tests to rule out other diseases and check for signs of inflammation
• May order tests to check for damage to the heart, such as an echocardiogram and electrocardiogram (EKG)

Kawasaki disease is usually treated in the hospital with an intravenous (IV) dose of immunoglobulin (IVIG) antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes to fight infections.

Aspirin may also be part of the treatment. But do not give your child aspirin unless the health care provider tells you to. Aspirin can cause Reye syndrome in children. This is a rare, serious illness that can affect the brain and liver.

Treatment usually works. But if it is not working well enough, the provider may also give your child other medicines to fight the inflammation. If the disease affects your child's heart, they might need additional medicines, surgery, or other medical procedures.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. This can damage many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain.

There are several kinds of lupus:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common type. It can be mild or severe and can affect many parts of the body.
• Discoid lupus causes a red rash that doesn't go away
• Subacute cutaneous lupus causes sores after being out in the sun
• Drug-induced lupus is caused by certain medicines. It usually goes away when you stop taking the medicine.
• Neonatal lupus, which is rare, affects newborns. It is probably caused by certain antibodies from the mother.

The cause of lupus is unknown.

Anyone can get lupus, but women are most at risk. Lupus is two to three times more common in African American women than in white women. It's also more common in Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women. African American and Hispanic women are more likely to have severe forms of lupus.

Lupus can have many symptoms, and they differ from person to person. Some of the more common ones are:

• Pain or swelling in joints
• Muscle pain
• Fever with no known cause
• Red rashes, most often on the face (also called the "butterfly rash")
• Chest pain when taking a deep breath
• Hair loss
• Pale or purple fingers or toes
• Sensitivity to the sun
• Swelling in legs or around eyes
• Mouth ulcers
• Swollen glands
• Feeling very tired

Symptoms may come and go. When you are having symptoms, it is called a flare. Flares can range from mild to severe. New symptoms may appear at any time.

There is no specific test for lupus, and it's often mistaken for other diseases. So it may take months or years for a doctor to diagnose it. Your doctor may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

• Medical history
• Complete exam
• Blood tests
• Skin biopsy (looking at skin samples under a microscope)
• Kidney biopsy (looking at tissue from your kidney under a microscope)

There is no cure for lupus, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help control it.

People with lupus often need to see different doctors. You will have a primary care doctor and a rheumatologist (a doctor who specializes in the diseases of joints and muscles). Which other specialists you see depends on how lupus affects your body. For example, if lupus damages your heart or blood vessels, you would see a cardiologist.

Your primary care doctor should coordinate care between your different health care providers and treat other problems as they come up. Your doctor will develop a treatment plan to fit your needs. You and your doctor should review the plan often to be sure it is working. You should report new symptoms to your doctor right away so that your treatment plan can be changed if needed.

The goals of the treatment plan are to:

• Prevent flares
• Treat flares when they occur
• Reduce organ damage and other problems

Treatments may include drugs to:

• Reduce swelling and pain
• Prevent or reduce flares
• Help the immune system
• Reduce or prevent damage to joints
• Balance the hormones

Besides taking medicines for lupus, you may need to take medicines for problems that are related to lupus such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or infection.

Alternative treatments are those that are not part of standard treatment. At this time, no research shows that alternative medicine can treat lupus. Some alternative or complementary approaches may help you cope or reduce some of the stress associated with living with a chronic illness. You should talk to your doctor before trying any alternative treatments.

It is important to take an active role in your treatment. It helps to learn more about lupus - being able to spot the warning signs of a flare can help you prevent the flare or make the symptoms less severe.

It is also important to find ways to cope with the stress of having lupus. Exercising and finding ways to relax may make it easier for you to cope. A good support system can also help.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Osteoarthritis, sometimes called OA, is a type of arthritis that only affects the joints, usually in the hands, knees, hips, neck, and lower back. It's the most common type of arthritis.

In a healthy joint, the ends of the bones are covered with a smooth, slippery tissue called cartilage. The cartilage pads the bones and helps them glide easily when you move the joint. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down and becomes rough. Sometimes, all the cartilage wears away and the bones rub together. Bumps of extra bone called bone spurs may grow in the joint area.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis. It usually gets worse slowly. But there's a lot you can do to manage the symptoms.

Osteoarthritis affects people in different ways, and not everyone has pain. The most common symptoms are:

• Pain when you move, which often gets better with rest
• Stiffness, especially for the first 30 minutes after you get up from resting
• Swollen joints, especially after using the joint a lot
• Less movement in the joint than normal
• A joint that feels loose or unstable

Researchers aren't sure what causes osteoarthritis. They think that it could be caused by a combination of factors in the body and the environment. Your chance of developing osteoarthritis increases with age. They also know that some people are more likely to develop it than others.

Things that make you more likely to develop osteoarthritis include:

• Aging. Osteoarthritis can happen at any age, but the chance of getting it increases in middle-aged adults and older. After age 50, it is more common in women than in men.
• Being overweight. Extra weight puts more stress on your joints.
• Having a past injury or surgery on a joint. This is often the cause of osteoarthritis in younger adults.
• Doing a lot of activities that overuse the joint. This includes sports with a lot of jumping, twisting, running, or throwing.
• Having a joint that doesn't line up correctly.
• A family history of osteoarthritis. Some people inherit genetic changes that increase their chance of developing osteoarthritis.

There is no specific test for osteoarthritis. To find out if you have osteoarthritis, your provider:

• Will ask about your symptoms and medical history
• Will do a physical exam
• May use x-rays or other imaging tests to look at your joints
• May order lab tests to make sure that a different problem isn't causing your symptoms

The goal of treating osteoarthritis is to ease your pain, help you move better, and stop it from getting worse.

Treatment usually begins with:

• Exercises to improve strength, flexibility and balance
• Weight loss, if needed, to improve pain, especially in your hips or knees
• Braces or shoe inserts (orthotics) that a health care provider fits for you

You can buy some pain relievers and arthritis creams without a prescription. They can be helpful, but it's best to talk to your provider about using them. If they don't help enough, your provider may prescribe injections (shots) into the joint or prescription pain relievers.

Complementary therapies may help some people. Massage can increase blood flow and bring warmth to the area. Some research shows that acupuncture may help relieve osteoarthritis pain. Simple things like heat and ice can help, too.

If none of these treatments help enough, surgery may be an option. You and your provider can decide if it's right for you.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases