A faulty immune system
The underlying causes of autoimmune diseases are not well understood. Somehow, the immune system, which is the body’s protector against disease, malfunctions.
The immune system is a network of specialized cells and organs with multiple functions, including fighting disease, defending against infections, and healing injuries. Under normal circumstances, it can tell the difference between what is part of your body and what is a germ or other foreign invader and potentially dangerous. Numerous complex mechanisms identify perceived threats, including harmful organisms such as viruses and bacteria, and mount attacks to get rid of them. Extra blood rushes to the area under threat. Fluid and other cells may build up as the body fights to contain the invader. The result is often inflammation, with symptoms such as redness, swelling, and heat. Inflammation is helpful in the short term, but can damage tissues in the body if it persists.
The immune system also creates antibodies, which are proteins designed to attack invaders. When the immune system goes awry with an autoimmune disease, it identifies normal, healthy cells, tissues, and organs as foreign. It launches a misguided attack without an identifiable trigger, often resulting in unrelenting inflammation, damage, and scarring of organs and tissues. The immune system creates what are called autoantibodies, which are antibodies directed against your own body.
While the causes of autoimmune diseases remain a mystery, it is believed that they develop because of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Inheriting certain genes may make a person susceptible to an autoimmune disease, and then contact with something in the environment sets off the disease. Environmental factors that may trigger the onset of an autoimmune disease include infectious agents, toxic chemicals, and certain medications, among others.
