Let's highlight Autoimmune Diseases [or Disorders] this week:

• Autoimmune diseases include a broad category of related diseases in which the person’s immune system attacks their own tissue with symptoms that can vary from mild to severely affecting daily life
• Autoimmune disorders are chronic (ongoing) illnesses; there are no cures, only treatments and symptom management
• In many cases autoimmune disorders are inherited, but it is not known why some people have them
• AD are frequently classified into organ-specific and non-organ-specific types, though some of them fall between the two
• Patients can experience multiple organ-specific diseases at the same time
• Sources vary on an exact number of autoimmune disorders, but the current number ranges from 80 -140+ different types and can prove difficult to diagnose
• Autoimmune diseases and their effects on mortality and morbidity are significant
• Everyone experiences their illness differently

The Global Autoimmune Institute and the Autoimmune Association have a non-comprehensive, searchable database of autoimmune diseases.

Sources: "Autoimmune Diseases - an overview", "What is autoimmunity?", "Human autoimmune diseases: a comprehensive update"

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