Auto-immune disorders are far more common that many people think, and most people probably don’t even know how you get an immune disease. An autoimmune disorder is a condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue. There are more than 80 different types of autoimmune disorders.

In a normal, strong immune system, the immune system’s army of white blood cells produces antibodies that help protect the body and destroy harmful antigens including bacteria, viruses, toxins, cancer cells, and foreign blood or tissues from another person or species. In those who have an autoimmune disease, however, the strong immune system can’t tell the difference between healthy body tissue and antigens, and it consequently attacks healthy body tissue instead. It is unknown why the immune system can’t distinguish between healthy body tissues and antigens.

1.     Allergies affect over 20% of all Americans. Allergies occur when the body’s immune system reacts to a usually harmless substance as if it was a harmful substance. When an allergen is encountered, the body begins producing antibodies, which attach to a mast cell. The mast cells will form in airways or other locations to catch allergens. Incoming allergens will bind to the mast cell and cause the mast cell to start releasing chemicals to combat the allergen. One of these is histamine, which produces an itchy, runny nose in most people who have allergies.

2.     Asthma is the result of an immune response in the bronchial airways. When an allergen is encountered by the lungs and airways, it triggers a reaction where the airways narrow and produce excess mucus. The exact reason that asthma occurs is not known, as it is essentially the immune system examining a common allergen and deciding that it doesn’t like it. Allergens that trigger asthma can include dust, smoke, and pollen, although there can be many other things as well. As of 2001, 9% of U.S. children under 18 years old had asthma, with that number growing yearly.

3.     AIDS, which is brought on by the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV), is an immune system disorder where the HIV virus attacks and destroys the body’s disease-fighting T-cells. With a low T-cell count, an infected individual is exposed to all types of infections and diseases, many of which don’t affect people with normally good immune system health. The weak immune system of a person with AIDS cannot fight off the diseases brought from bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses and it usually results in death. In 2007, it was estimated that 33.2 million people had the disorder worldwide.

4.     Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder where the body destroys its own insulin-producing cells. The cells are incorrectly determined to be foreign and the immune system attacks them, resulting in a deficiency. An estimated 5-10% of North American diabetics suffer from this type of diabetes.

1.     Frequent infections. With some immune disorders, an affected person is usually more prone to be sick, but more than that, they will have a greater risk of infection.

2.     Itchy, stuffy, or watery nose and eyes. 

3.     Frequent cough, difficulty breathing, or chest constriction. The immune system sees smoke, dust, or other things and thinks they’re harmful and overreacts, resulting in bronchial tube constriction.

4.     Chronic illness. Not surprisingly, if you tend to have colds, flus, or other illnesses more often than the average person, it is likely that you have an immune disorder.

5.     Excess diarrhea. Unfortunately yes, some immune disorders affect the intestines’ ability to function properly, resulting in diarrhea. This is not always a sign of an immune disorder, but it’s usually the most recognizable.

Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent yourself from getting an autoimmune disease. Even people who consistently work at trying to strengthen immune system functions are susceptible to a disorder. Symptoms of an autoimmune disorder vary widely based on what disorder you have. Some nonspecific symptoms, however, may include dizziness, fatigue, a general ill or sick feeling, or a low-grade fever. To ultimately find out whether or not you have an immune disorder, you need to get into your health care provider and get tested.

Although there is no known way to prevent yourself from getting an autoimmune disorder, building a strong immune system is still extremely important to protect yourself from other illnesses. Check out Sun Dew’s Immune Booster to help support your immune system now!