The immune system of your body protects us from disease causing foreign cells by developing antibodies against these antigens. At times there comes a stage when immune system of our body instead of protecting your healthy cells starts attacking healthy body cells considering them foreign. This stage is known as autoimmune disorder.
The white blood cells in the body’s immune system help protect against harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, toxins, cancer cells, and blood and tissue from another person or species. These substances contain antigens. The immune system produces antibodies against these antigens that enable it to destroy these harmful substances. In short, you can say when you have an autoimmune disorder; your immune system does not distinguish between healthy tissue and antigens.
An autoimmune disorder may result in:
- The destruction of body tissue
- Abnormal growth of an organ
- Changes in organ function
An autoimmune disorder may affect one or more organ or tissue types. Areas often affected by autoimmune disorders include:
- Blood vessels
- Connective tissues
- Endocrine glands such as the thyroid or pancreas
- Joints
- Muscles
- Red blood cells
- Skin
There are more than 80 different types of autoimmune disorders.
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