To define autoimmune lung disease is to look at the body reacting abnormally to substances and body tissue normally found in the patient. This autoimmune response is mostly restricted to certain organs but can further be present in tissue found in different places. Normally this is treated with some prescribed immunosuppressive medication what will make the body produce less of an immune response.
There are numerous autoimmune diseases that the patient can be diagnosed with. The bottom line is that the body of the patient is attacking its own healthy cellular system and this will result in inflammation and an oversupply of the natural protein that makes the skin elastic and helps the growth of connecting tissues in the body. The most affected organ in the body from autoimmune disorders is the lungs. There are at least eighty different autoimmune diseases that is diagnosed to affect the human body.
Autoimmune Lung Disease: Wegener’s Granulomatosis
This autoimmune lung disease is extremely rare and is diagnosed as a condition causing the inflammation of the blood vessels of the patient and this then cause a decrease in the amount of blood available to the various organs. In the lungs the condition manifests itself in the lungs and the top section of the respiratory system or tract.
When the patient starts to notice a difficulty in breathing or becoming short of breathe this may be the onset of the condition. As the condition become more severe the patient may find their noses running constantly as well as occasional bleeding from the nose. They may further experience sinus and ear infections that could result in then spitting blood after coughing. They could also experience:
- Sores on the skin
- Losing their appetite
- Their joints could swell and itch
Early diagnoses and effective treatment over a few months could lead to recovery.
Autoimmune Lung Disease: Sarcoidosis
This condition as an autoimmune lung disease cause small pieces of inflamed cells to start developing in certain areas of the body. The condition will mostly affect the following:
- The lung
- The lymph nodes of the body
- Patient’s skin
- The eyes
Depending at what stage the disease is diagnosed and treatment is started the patient may report the following signs:
- Regular coughing
- Breath being short
- Some bouts of fever and losing some weight
- The arms, buttock and facial area may become affected with tine reddish bumps
- The joints may get arthritis
No treatment is required without the signs being present and if present the use of corticosteroids is recommended as the best treatment.
Autoimmune Lung Disease: Scleroderma
This condition is part of an extremely rare group of active autoimmune lung disease conditions that makes the skin and tissue in the patient extremely hard. The conditions are manifested in two main groups:
- Localized scleroderma is mostly active in skin infections and the characteristics of the skin
- Systemic scleroderma is more active in affective organs like the lungs, kidneys, heart etc.
The patients suffering from this strain of the disease could experience many other signs such as hand and finger swelling, the skin around the face, mouth and fingers may become tighter.