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Going Healthy, Health, Life

Could You Have an Autoimmune Disorder? How to Spot the Signs

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Autoimmune disorders are health conditions where your immune system begins to attack your own body. This happens because your immune system can’t tell the difference between foreign cells and your own cells, causing it to treat your cells like an illness. There are different types of autoimmune diseases, some of which are fairly common and others that are much rarer. Some autoimmune disorders that you might have heard of include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, and some thyroid diseases such as Graves’ disease.

Autoimmune diseases can often be difficult to diagnose. Often, the symptoms can be hard to pin down or have a lot of crossover with many other health conditions. For example, many people may experience problems such as fatigue or aching muscles, which could be explained by many different illnesses or health issues. If you experience these symptoms, it can be easy to dismiss them as simply being tired or stressed. Even if you see a doctor, they can find it difficult to diagnose anything.

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However, there are some things you can look out for that might indicate you have an autoimmune disease. If you have a set of symptoms together and have ruled out other causes, you can bring it up to your general practitioner or see a rheumatologist.

Here are some common signs that you could have an autoimmune disorder, what it could be, and what you can do next.

Common Symptoms of Autoimmune Disorders

The symptoms of an autoimmune disorder can vary, depending on the specific disease. However, there are some common symptoms that are often experienced by people with several autoimmune conditions.

Some of the common problems that you might experience include:

  • Unexplained tiredness and fatigue
  • Pain and swelling in the joints
  • Skin problems
  • Digestive issues and abdominal pain
  • Fever
  • Swollen glands

Getting diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder can be difficult. There isn’t usually a single test that you can have that will reveal whether you have one or not, and the symptoms can be attributed to many other things. However, if you start to experience new symptoms after previously being healthy, it’s important to get them checked out.

Common Autoimmune Disorders

There are some autoimmune diseases that are more common than others. Although these conditions are more likely, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of a disease that is less common. Take a look at some of the autoimmune diseases that you could be more likely to develop.

Rheumatoid arthritis – Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of arthritis that is caused by the immune system attacking the joints. It causes pain, swelling, and stiffness and usually affects joints such as the hands, feet, and wrists. People with rheumatoid arthritis can have flare-ups, where symptoms are worse. Over time, it can cause permanent damage to the joints.

Psoriasis – This is a condition that affects the skin, creating dry, scaly, and thick patches of skin. Some people with psoriasis might also have psoriatic arthritis.

Lupus – Lupus can damage different areas of the body, including the joints, organs, and skin. It can damage the kidneys, lungs, heart, brain, and blood cells.

Thyroid diseases – Thyroid diseases such as Graves’ disease (hyperthyroidism) and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (hypothyroidism) are also autoimmune disorders that are fairly common. They can affect your weight, energy levels, mood, and more.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) – MS affects the brain and spinal cord and can result in a range of symptoms, including difficulty with movement, fatigue, vision problems, muscle stiffness, balance problems, and difficulties with learning or thinking.

Who Has a Higher Risk of Autoimmune Diseases?

Some people may have a higher risk of developing an autoimmune disease. This includes genetic factors. There is evidence that some autoimmune diseases run in families so if you have a family member with an autoimmune disease, there is a higher chance you could have it too. However, it still isn’t a guarantee that you will have the same disease. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, being overweight can increase your chances of developing it, due to the stress put on your joints. Smokers also have a higher chance of developing a number of autoimmune disorders. Some medications can also lead to an autoimmune disease, although it’s not very common.

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Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases

Treatments for autoimmune disorders vary depending on the disorder. There are various medications and therapies that might be used to treat the disease and its symptoms. Steroids may be used for short periods to treat pain and other symptoms. Rheumatoid arthritis is usually treated with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD), but biological treatments offer a newer method of treatment.

People with lupus often need treatment for a number of health problems. Mild lupus may only cause tiredness and joint or skin problems, but more severe lupus can cause inflammation of other parts of the body, including the kidneys, heart, and lungs. Serious damage to these organs can be life-threatening. People with lupus may need help from doctors specializing in lupus nephritis and other problems that are caused by the disease. Some people might require kidney transplants if their kidneys are severely affected by lupus.

The thyroid condition Graves’ disease might be treated with radioactive iodine therapy. This involves taking radioactive iodine by mouth to destroy overactive thyroid cells. Other treatments can include anti-thyroid medications and beta-blockers, as well as surgery, and steroids. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which causes an underactive thyroid, is treated by replacing the missing hormone to relieve the symptoms.

Autoimmune diseases can have a wide range of symptoms. If you have any of the symptoms that could be evidence of an autoimmune disease, it doesn’t mean that you necessarily have one. There are many other things that some of these symptoms could relate to, from vitamin deficiencies to viruses or even stress. However, if you think that you could have an autoimmune disease, it’s important to see a medical professional and have your symptoms assessed. Doctors and other medical professionals can help to ensure the right tests are carried out and the root of the problem is discovered.

Going Healthy, Going Strong, Lifestyle

5 Sports You Can Play As An Adult

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As an adult, it can be easy to lose touch with the playful spirit you had as a child and forget how much fun it is to play around with some friends, but engaging in sports is one of the best ways to bring that back into our lives. So whether you’re new to sports or have been playing them since you were young, here are six options that everyone can enjoy!

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Here Are 5 Sports To Play As An Adult

  1. Pickleball

Pickleball might be what you need if you’re looking for something fun that can help you stay fit without being too strenuous on your joints! Fun and easy to learn, pickleball is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages in a variety of settings. A cross between tennis and badminton, it’s played on a court roughly the size of a doubles tennis court. If you have a large enough garden, you could even invest in line marking paint and a net to craft your own court in your backyard!

  1. Touch Football

This game is similar to rugby and American football, but there is no tackling. Instead, players have to “tag” their opponents instead of tackling them. That means it’s easy for anyone to participate in this sport – even if you’re not that fit or fast. Touch football fosters teamwork and communication between players and will help you improve your fitness level over time.

Here’s a tip: Because this is a full-body sport, you might want to consider buying Herbal Ice Hemp Muscle Rub. It helps with muscle injuries, which you could get now and again.

  1. Cycling

Cycling is another popular sport. It is an excellent way to stay in shape. You can ride alone, with friends, or in a group race. The activity offers plenty of opportunities to explore the outdoors, and it’s always more fun than exercising indoors. Cycling also helps improve balance and coordination, which is excellent for older adults who may be at risk for falls.

  1. Tennis

Tennis is a wonderful way to get in shape while being social. It is one of the top five ways that adults stay physically fit. While some sports are only for young people, tennis is a sport you can play for the rest of your life! Consider picking up a racket and heading out on the court if you’re looking to burn some calories. If you struggle with active sports like this because of back pain, then now could be a good time for you to visit a chiropractor.

  1. Swimming

Swimming is a crucial life skill, but it’s also low impact on your joints, which means minor damage to your body over time. It is also an excellent exercise for your core and upper body; you can burn about 550 calories an hour just by swimming, and it doesn’t require any equipment! You can practice different strokes, like the butterfly or breaststroke, or even try water aerobics.

Conclusion

Although we’re not all born with the athletic prowess of Tiger Woods, this list of sports proves that you can be a great athlete at any age. Whether you want to improve your health and fitness, have fun, or meet new people, plenty of sports will help you achieve your goal. Get out there and give it your best shot!

Health, Life, Parenting, Tips

5 Simple but Effective Tips to Help Your Epileptic Child

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Epilepsy isn’t common, but it is a well-known illness. Unfortunately, epilepsy can begin when you are a child and carry on for life. Here are some ways you can heal your epileptic children.

Keep a Record of Events

It’s hard to describe seizures because of all the symptoms, and your child may not remember a lot of what happened. However, recording a video of a loved one can help. It’s excellent for your allocated neurosurgeon and nurses since they can see how your child is doing. It’s also helpful to keep a record of the type, time of day, duration, and what they were doing when the seizure started. Then you can use this information to look for patterns. This will help you identify the triggers and symptoms of an upcoming episode so you can prepare for when it happens.

Help Before, During, and After a Seizure

It can be a terrifying experience to witness a seizure for the first time. When you have a grand mal seizure, your body and face may seem to deform at an impossible angle. These are frightening for siblings to witness. And worse for your child experiencing a seizure if they have focal epilepsy. With focal epilepsy, the patient is aware of what is happening and cannot do anything about it. It is best to stay calm and provide assistance by making sure your child doesn’t hit their head on anything and sees a familiar face when the episode ends.

Help Your Epileptic Child with Comorbidities

Each patient’s issues are different. Perhaps your child’s epilepsy coexists with long-term depressive disorders like bipolar. For instance, sometimes depression happens before or after seizures. In these cases, you can think of them as early indicators of an incoming episode, kind of like how your child might describe auras. However, other mental problems can start days before, rather than minutes, and last for days afterward. Made worse by the debilitating effect of epilepsy itself, full episodes can be exhausting and debilitating for your child.

Assist them Through the Post-Ictal Stages

Following a seizure, your child might be “posy-ictal” for a period. This means they are basically recovering from what has happened. However, an episode can cause bodily injuries, extreme tiredness, and confusion. And the effects can last from hours to days. For an adult, this is frustrating. You can only imagine what it is like for a child. So, give your child some space and provide comfort. It’s possible they are embarrassed about their conditions, so try to limit the number of people in the room and make sure they are as comfortable as possible.

Help Other People Understand

Epilepsy can be viewed as another problem. People often assume epilepsy is caused by drugs or alcohol. Clearly, a young child won’t be drinking or taking drugs. However, people tend to be judgmental nonetheless. It is helpful to explain to others that your child is epileptic when a seizure happens in public. And ask them to give you some space. It’s also a good idea to explain that your child has a condition to siblings, cousins, and friends. And that they aren’t any different than anyone else. Sadly, children are more understanding than adults.

Summary

As a parent, it’s horrid to see your kids go through epilepsy. But you can help by recording episodes and making your child comfortable before, during, and after a seizure.