Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune Disease 1. Description (Definition and Introduction) An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells, tissues, or organs instead of protecting them from harmful germs like bacteria and viruses. Normally, the immune system recognizes what belongs to the body (self) and what does not (non-self). In autoimmune diseases, this recognition system fails, causing inflammation and tissue damage. There are more than 80 different autoimmune diseases , and they can affect almost any part of the body, such as the skin, joints, muscles, thyroid gland, pancreas, kidneys, nervous system, or digestive tract. Autoimmune diseases may affect only one organ (organ-specific) or many organs throughout the body (systemic). These diseases are usually chronic (long-lasting) and often require lifelong treatment and monitoring. Key Characteristics The immune system attacks healthy body tissues. Causes ...