The Top Ten Autoimmune Diseases

Statistics show that the following ten autoimmune diseases are the ones most commonly diagnosed throughout the United States.

1. Graves’ disease.  Graves' disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism.  It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid and causes it to become too active.
2. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.  This autoimmune disease also attacks the thyroid.  However, instead of being too active, the thyroid becomes too slow and sluggish.  This leads to hypothyroidism.  
3. Rheumatoid arthritis.  Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation, swelling, joint pain and, eventually, deformity.  It occurs when the body attacks the lining of the joints.  
4. Vitiligo.  This condition occurs when the body attacks and destroys its own melanocytes (the cells that make pigment).  As a result, white patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body.   (Michael Jackson was reported to have this autoimmune disease.)
5. Type 1 diabetes.  You may have heard this called “childhood” or “juvenile” diabetes.  It is an autoimmune disease that destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
6. Pernicious anemia.  This type of anemia (sometimes called B12 deficiency) develops when         the body attacks cells in the stomach that are needed for the absorption of vitamin B12.
7. Multiple sclerosis.  In people with MS, the body attacks its own nervous system.  This affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other.
8. Glomerulonephritis.  This is a type of kidney disease in which the parts of the kidneys become inflamed and are unable to properly filter the urine.
9. Systemic lupus erythematosus.  Called SLE or “lupus” for short, this disease causes inflammation in the skin, joints, kidneys, and other organs. People with lupus produce abnormal antibodies in their blood that target tissues throughout their bodies.
10. Sjogren’s syndrome.  The targets of this autoimmune disease are glands.  For example, Sjogren’s can cause dry eyes by attacking the tear glands.  It can also damage the salivary glands in the mouth, causing dry mouth and lips.