5. Autoimmune diseases
Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the body’s defense mistakenly attacks healthy cells. The body’s immune system is tasked to guard the body against pathogens like harmful bacteria and viruses. The system uses antibodies to fight the foreign invasion and keep the body healthy. In a normal scenario, the antibodies can differentiate between harmful foreign cells and the body’s healthy cells. However, in the case of an autoimmune disease, the immune system cannot tell the difference and ends up attacking healthy cells.
Some autoimmune diseases only affect one organ. In type 1 diabetes, for instance, the disease damages the pancreases while in other cases like the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the condition affects the whole body. In the event that an autoimmune disease affects the nerves, a patient may suffer from neuropathy. Guillain-Barre syndrome, for example, is an autoimmune condition that happens rapidly and affects the autonomic nerves.