CLUE #5: You have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder

The immune system is a complex organization within the body that is designed normally to “seek and destroy” invaders of the body, including infectious agents.

However, when the immune system is over active, the body attacks and damages its own tissues, creating an autoimmune disease.

In response to something potentially dangerous (such as an allergen, a toxin, an infection, or even a food), the immune system may begin producing antibodies that instead of fighting infections, mistakenly attack the body’s own tissues, wreaking havoc. The result is organ inflammation and damage. 

Autoimmune diseases as a group affect around 1 in 20 people, a large percentage (75%) of whom are women. Autoimmune diseases come in many different varieties, including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, asthma, lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, Celiac disease, and more, and can cause many different types of symptoms all over the body that range from mild to severe in nature.