Autoimmune Disease Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore, Plus One Common Red Flag To Watch For
Think you’re just tired? See what might actually be early autoimmune disease symptoms
When it comes to treating autoimmune diseases, recognizing the symptoms early is key. Maybe you first heard about an autoimmune disease like lupus because of a celebrity like Selena Gomez speaking openly about her experience. Or perhaps you or a loved one are among the more than 15 million people who, according to research in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, received at least one autoimmune disease diagnosis in roughly the last 10 years.
But before a diagnosis is made, what are the early warning signs to look for? We spoke to an expert to learn more about the most common autoimmune diseases and the key symptoms to be aware of.
7 common autoimmune diseases and their symptoms
While many conditions are caused by an invader like bacteria or a virus, autoimmune diseases happen when your immune system attacks your body’s own tissues, according to Mount Sinai. With more than 80 known autoimmune diseases, it can be hard to tell them apart sometimes. Here are some of the most common, according to Cory Rice, DO, Chief Clinical Advisor at Biote.
Woman's World Answers
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
“Hashimoto’s disease is a very common autoimmune disorder in which the immune system targets and destroys the thyroid tissue,” explains Dr. Rice. ”Over time, this leads to impaired thyroid hormone production, which can result in hypothyroidism [underactive thyroid].
As thyroid hormone production declines, symptoms may include:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Cold extremities
- Hair thinning or loss
- Dry skin
Graves’ disease
“Graves’ disease typically affects the body by causing symptoms of hyperthyroidism [an overactive thyroid],” says Dr. Rice. These include:
- Increased appetite with weight loss
- Hot skin
- Heart palpitations
- Tremors
- Anxiety
- Increased sweating
- Sleeping problems
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
“Among the spectrum of related autoimmune conditions, lupus (SLE) affects the body by causing widespread inflammation due to the immune system no longer working correctly,” says Dr. Rice. This can lead to autoimmune disease symptoms such as:
- Skin rashes
- Oral ulcers
- Arthritis
- Kidney problems
- Heart problems
- Lung disease
- Anemia
- Cognitive issues
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
“Rheumatoid arthritis causes systemic inflammation that primarily targets the joints,” says Dr. Rice. This can trigger:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Morning stiffness
Learn more about early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis here.
Sjogren’s syndrome
This autoimmune disease affects the body’s moisture-producing glands. Dr. Rice says it can cause symptoms such as:
- Severe dry mouth
- Dry eyes
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)
MCTD affects the body by causing many of the same symptoms as lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis, Dr. Rice says. These autoimmune disease symptoms may include:
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Raynaud’s phenomenon
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
”Finally, MS affects the body by causing degeneration within the central nervous system (CNS),” Dr. Rice reveals. That can lead to:
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Poor coordination
- Unsteady gait
- Fatigue
- Pain
The #1 autoimmune disease symptom you shouldn’t ignore
While the autoimmune diseases above (and many others) work differently, there is one early warning sign many have in common.
“An early warning sign across most autoimmune diseases is fatigue,” says Dr. Rice. “It is usually profound and debilitating. Other common symptoms are low-grade fever and joint pains, although these are not necessarily universal.”
Does it matter how often you have symptoms?
If you’ve been experiencing some of these symptoms, you may wonder if the frequency matters when determining whether you have an autoimmune disease. Dr. Rice says symptoms can be constant or infrequent. “The disease process in play and the severity or progression of the disease in the specific person will determine if the symptoms are constant or intermittent,” he adds.
How are autoimmune diseases diagnosed?
The process of being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease can vary depending on the specific condition.
“Thyroid autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto’s and Graves’) seem to be the easiest autoimmune disease to detect at an early stage,” says Dr. Rice. “This is because of the high sensitivity in the blood markers used to diagnose these conditions and the prevalence of these tests being done in routine practice. Also, these antibodies to the thyroid gland can be present for years before symptoms start to develop.”
Other autoimmune diseases may take longer to diagnose.
“Conversely, Sjogren’s syndrome appears to take the longest time to diagnose, often taking years to detect,” says Dr. Rice. “The reason for this appears to be that the symptoms of Sjogren’s can be insidious in onset and can be non-specific. It is also very important to understand that the biggest risk factor for developing an autoimmune disease is actually having one autoimmune disease. If you have one, you are at risk for them all.”
What to do if you notice symptoms of an autoimmune disease
If you are at increased risk for autoimmune disease, or you’re experiencing multiple early warning signs, it’s worth seeking professional medical advice and screening as soon as possible. Dr. Rice says early intervention is key.
“I feel that all patients should be screened early for autoimmune disease whether they have symptoms or not,” he says. “But, absolutely, if you have symptoms suggestive of autoimmune disease, then you should be screened with blood testing.”
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