But accurately diagnosing this problem can be so tricky.
A big reason for this?
Most autoimmune diseases are chronic conditions, meaning they dont have a cure.
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Thats why seeing a doctor about your symptoms early on is so important.
Here are six signs you might have an autoimmune disease.
Youre ridiculously fatigued or constantly feel like youre coming down with the flu.
When youve got an infection, your body funnels a ton of your energy into fighting it off.
Its not like you just didnt get enough sleep last night.
Its one of Jennifer Gravess most frustrating symptoms too.
I could be in the middle of grocery shopping and I have to go home and sleep.
You have unexplained pain or swelling in your joints or muscles.
Rashes or other strange skin issues are popping up.
There could be any number of reasons for a weirditchy spotor suddenrash.
Perhaps youencountered an irritating detergentora tick out in the woods.
In other autoimmune diseases, skin issues can be a secondary symptom.
The rash can also flare up for no reason at all.
Even some gastrointestinal conditions can cause skin problems too.
Your gut is seriously struggling.
Youre having trouble processing information, you have recurring headaches, or your vision seems off.
The condition can also make you prone tochronic migraineor frequenttension headaches,studies suggest.
Non-neurological autoimmune diseases, like lupus, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis, can also cause cognitive issues.
Another hot spot for autoimmune attacks is the eyes.
I had dry eyes and a dry mouth, but I just drank water and used eye drops.
I didnt connect it to a medical problem, she tells SELF.
But when Bailey would lift her arm, shed often wince with pain.
When she flagged this issue to a doctor, the connection to her other symptoms finally surfaced.
You experience any of these symptoms in an on-again, off-again way.
That relapsing-remitting pattern is common across a lot of [these diseases], she says.
venture to remember when your first flare-up might have happened too.
Weve diagnosed quite a bit of new autoimmune diseases after COVID-19, for example.
