Autoimmune Diseases are conditions in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your body. The immune system can typically tell the difference between foreign cells and your own cells, but there is a flaw where the body cannot tell the difference. This is when the body makes autoantibodies that attack normal cells by mistake. Researchers have stated that the cause of the rise in cases of autoimmune diseases can be linked to the changes in our environment, which can cause changes in our bodies. The rates have been rising for the last decade for different autoimmune conditions, but it generally ranges between 3% and 9% year on year. The Director of External Affairs at the MS Society, Genevieve Edwards, has previously said within the Connect Immune Research report that research is essential to make scientific discoveries that are vitally needed for people being diagnosed with autoimmune diseases.
Why do autoimmune diseases develop?
The body’s immune system is exceedingly complex and despite the decades of research that have highlighted further information, the actual cause is unknown for most autoimmune illnesses. A general theory from the Incidence Rates of Autoimmune Diseases in European Healthcare Databases states that someone with a particular genetic background could make them prone to immune system ‘misfiring’ incidences. As an environmental trigger, this could set off an autoimmune disease; the particular trigger is unknown; it would be an infection or a toxin. There is no doubt that the gaps in our knowledge of autoimmune diseases will slow the development of effective treatments or preventive measures.
Rates of Autoimmune Diseases
Approximately four million people in the UK live with autoimmune diseases, and around 25% of those patients are likely to develop other autoimmune diseases.
Connect Immune Research, a coalition of medical research charities states that autoimmune conditions are becoming more common, a potential increase of 9% each year. They published a report that shows the cost for only three autoimmune conditions, type one diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, which currently adds up to more than £13 billion a year.
Is COVID-19 linked to Autoimmunity?
With the progression of COVID-19, there have been different reports and research papers investigating the development of autoimmune diseases once the coronavirus infection is controlled. A study suggests autoimmunity is linked to the Coronavirus, which could explain why some people experience COVID-19 symptoms more severely than others. Within the medical research document, the Emerging Roles of Coronavirus in Autoimmune Diseases, Zhoua, Zhanga, Shua and Chonga state that the persistence of autoantibodies could be related to long-COVID and why people are continuing to experience symptoms for months after infection.
Conclusion
Altogether, there are more than 80 autoimmune conditions known to science, the reason for the rise in autoimmunity rates is unknown, and the research is ongoing. Researchers at the University College London state a limit on what people can do to protect themselves against autoimmunity and other health conditions. For more information about autoimmunity and the advice I can provide, why not contact Ellingham Nutrition?
