Common autoimmune diseases in women

Common autoimmune diseases in women include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis, a form of arthritis that attacks the joints
• Psoriasis, a condition marked by thick, scaly patches of skin
• Psoriatic arthritis, a type of arthritis affecting some people with psoriasis
• Lupus, a disease that damages areas of the body that include joints, skin and organs
• Thyroid diseases, including Graves’ disease, where the body makes too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism), and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, where it doesn’t make enough (hypothyroidism) of the hormone
• Type 1 diabetes, a condition in which the immune system damages the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas

Symptoms of autoimmune disease may be severe in some people and mild in others. “There are different degrees of autoimmune disease,” says Orbai. “The symptoms a person gets likely relate to multiple factors that include genetics, environment and personal health.”