Autoimmune Diseases: A Serious Health Concern For All 20-Somethings

A person’s twenties are meant to be a fun decade with endless possibilities. No one wants to think about developing a chronic, incurable illness when they are supposed to be having the time of their life. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues and organs. Recently, they have been targeting more young people than ever, which can quickly turn a person’s twenties into a time of uncertainty. Here is what all twenty-somethings need to know.

What Is Autoimmunity?

Autoimmune diseases, or autoimmunity, describe a group of chronic illnesses that are characterized by an overactive immune system. The immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues because it mistakes them as foreign invaders. Diseases are classified by the part of the body affected. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease affect the digestive system while Multiple Sclerosis targets the spinal cord and brain and rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints. Currently, there is no cure for autoimmune diseases and treatment is limited to managing symptoms.

Characteristics

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by flare-ups (when the disease is active) and periods of remission. Flare-ups are different for everyone and can last anywhere from a few weeks to years at a time. Remission occurs when the symptoms of the disease go away for a period of time. Think of remission as a time in which the disease is sleeping. It will never entirely go away and can lie dormant in the body for years before another attack occurs, but it will always be there.