11 Silent Autoimmune Alarms Your Dermatologist Won't Catch

9. Unexplained Weight Changes

Autoimmune disease can throw metabolism and appetite into chaos, sometimes causing unplanned weight loss or gain that just doesn’t seem to add up. These shifts, when not otherwise explained by changes in diet, activity, or routine, can be red flags for thyroid autoimmunity, gut inflammation, or even conditions like lupus.

10. Odd Sensitivities: Sun, Heat, or Cold

Some of the immune system’s earliest whispers come in the form of new—or intensified—sensitivities to sunlight, heat, or cold. Photosensitivity, a classic warning sign of lupus and some other autoimmune diseases, can cause rashes, hives, or even systemic symptoms like headaches and joint aches after limited sun exposure, even if nothing shows on your skin right away. Raynaud’s phenomenon, on the other hand, causes fingers or toes to change color or tingle in cold or stress—sometimes long before any other symptoms appear.