Living with an Autoimmune Disease

Nine Keys to Managing an Autoimmune Disease

Discover how to curb and control the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, MS, lupus, IBD, psoriasis, Type 1 diabetes, and more.  What does RA which attacks the joints have in common with IBD which affects the intestines…or Graves’ disease which assaults the thyroid have in common with psoriasis’ inflammation of the skin? They, as well as MS, lupus, type 1 diabetes, are conditions in which the immune system attacks the body itself.  Known as autoimmune diseases, they affect one of every 15 Americans.  While autoimmune diseases may appear to be quite different, they share fundamental characteristics.   Each has no known cause and no cure, so managing an autoimmune disease is a lifelong journey. This empowering online guide is about managing that journey with fewer symptoms and greater ability to lead a full, active life.

You’ll meet “the defining nine”… practical, proven measures that can minimize the impact of an autoimmune disease on your life.  

In this Harvard Health Guide you’ll discover that by adopting simple lifestyle changes and embracing specific proactive measures you can maintain greater control over your autoimmune disease.  The right food choices, for example. You’ll learn about dietary patterns that offer the greatest benefits for autoimmune health. You’ll discover the supplements people with RA or lupus should consider.  You’ll find a mineral people with Hashimoto’s disease or Graves’ disease may want to avoid.  And you’ll learn the best way for people with type 1 diabetes to manage dietary issues.

This is guidance you can use—from a source you can trust! 

Direct from Harvard Health Publishing, you’ll be briefed on ways to maximize the services of your health care providers. You’ll get tips for keeping medical costs in check. You’ll be introduced to sources of positive emotional support.  And you’ll want to read the report’s timely recommend-dations for vaccines and the special considerations for anyone with an autoimmune disease.  

Not surprisingly, exercise is important. You’ll discover routines to boost your energy and immune system without taxing your joints.  You’ll learn why exercise is particularly useful to people with diabetes…two easy aerobic alternatives to jogging…and tips for renewing your muscle strength. Because stress is a trigger for symptom flare-ups with many autoimmune diseases, the Guide shares six effective stress management techniques.  You’ll learn about an approach helpful to people with RA…a practice that improves physical function in people with multiple sclerosis or IBD…and more.   

Without question, living with an autoimmune disease can present challenges. This Guide is designed to help you meet those challenges and manage your condition with knowledge and confidence.

Prepared by the editors of Harvard Health Publishing in consultation Robert H. Shmerling, MD Corresponding Member of the Faculty of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Former Clinical Chief, Division of Rheumatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing. 19 Pages. (2024)

About Harvard Medical School Guides

Harvard Medical School Guides delivers compact, practical information on important health concerns. These publications are smaller in scope than our Special Health Reports, but they are written in the same clear, easy-to-understand language, and they provide the authoritative health advice you expect from Harvard Health Publishing.

A faulty immune system

The underlying causes of autoimmune diseases are not well understood. Somehow, the immune system, which is the body’s protector against disease, malfunctions.

The immune system is a network of specialized cells and organs with multiple functions, including fighting disease, defending against infections, and healing injuries. Under normal circumstances, it can tell the difference between what is part of your body and what is a germ or other foreign invader and potentially dangerous. Numerous complex mechanisms identify perceived threats, including harmful organisms such as viruses and bacteria, and mount attacks to get rid of them. Extra blood rushes to the area under threat. Fluid and other cells may build up as the body fights to contain the invader. The result is often inflammation, with symptoms such as redness, swelling, and heat. Inflammation is helpful in the short term, but can damage tissues in the body if it persists.

The immune system also creates antibodies, which are proteins designed to attack invaders. When the immune system goes awry with an autoimmune disease, it identifies normal, healthy cells, tissues, and organs as foreign. It launches a misguided attack without an identifiable trigger, often resulting in unrelenting inflammation, damage, and scarring of organs and tissues. The immune system creates what are called autoantibodies, which are antibodies directed against your own body.

While the causes of autoimmune diseases remain a mystery, it is believed that they develop because of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Inheriting certain genes may make a person susceptible to an autoimmune disease, and then contact with something in the environment sets off the disease. Environmental factors that may trigger the onset of an autoimmune disease include infectious agents, toxic chemicals, and certain medications, among others.

• What is an autoimmune disease?
• A faulty immune system
• Common autoimmune diseases
• What do autoimmune diseases have in common?
• Management strategies
• Coping strategies
• Lifestyle strategies
• Resources

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