The body is a marvel because it can defend itself against foreign bodies. It possesses an immune system, which is necessary for survival.
This huge network of tissues and cells is always on the lookout for viruses, bacteria, and even parasites that may pose a threat to the entire body.
The immune system’s mission is to keep us healthy as we go about our daily lives, which may be infected with diseases.
In this article, we will highlight some autoimmune diseases App that will improve your health by using an autoimmune symptom tracker App to monitor diet, symptoms, and medication so that your caregiver can help you optimize your therapy.
Common Autoimmune Diseases you should know
A list of autoimmune disorders and their symptoms:
Rheumatoid arthritis: is an autoimmune illness that causes joint inflammation.
Lupus: is an autoimmune illness that affects many different regions of the body, including the skin, joints, and organs.
Multiple sclerosis: is a brain and spinal cord autoimmune disorder.
Type 1 diabetes: is an autoimmune illness that damages the pancreas and causes insulin deficiency.
Celiac disease: is an autoimmune illness that affects the small intestine and is caused by gluten consumption.
Crohn’s disease: is an autoimmune disease that causes digestive tract inflammation.
Psoriasis: is an autoimmune skin condition characterized by red, scaly areas.
Hashimoto’s illness: is an autoimmune thyroid ailment that causes the thyroid gland to be underactive.
Addison’s disease: is a condition that results from adrenal gland dysfunction.
Myasthenia gravis: is a neuromuscular condition that causes muscle weakening.
Graves’ disease: is an autoimmune thyroid illness that causes the thyroid gland to overwork.
Sjögren’s syndrome: is a condition characterized by dry eyes and mouth.
SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus): is an uncommon autoimmune illness that can affect any organ in the body.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica: is a muscle pain and stiffness illness.
Vitiligo: is a condition in which patches of skin lose their color.
There are around 80 distinct forms of autoimmune disorders. Many people have several autoimmune disorders. Autoimmune illnesses can afflict people of any age, race, or ethnicity.
Available Apps for autoimmune diseases
This list covers a handful of our favorite, easy-to-use apps for managing many aspects of life with autoimmune disease and other chronic illnesses.
Gluten-Free Diet Digital Resource Center: includes ingredient lists, shopping recommendations, recipes, nutrition information, and more.
GoodRX: offers low-cost prescription drugs without the requirement for insurance.
Happify: mindfulness activities and games based on scientific research to increase resilience and reduce stress and anxiety
Healp: share your experiences and connect with those who are suffering with similar medical conditions.
PainScale: provides pain management via education, condition tracking, and individualized reports. More information can be found at.
WebMD Pain Coach: WebMD, a credible and renowned source of medical information, created one of the most popular apps for chronic pain treatment.
CareClinic: Pain tracker, chronic illness tracker, and mental health tracker.
Mymee: Mymee identifies the triggers that are producing your symptoms, allowing you to regain control of your disease and your health.
Manage My Pain: is a simple pain tracker with graphs and charts to see patterns and determine what makes your pain worse or better.
MediSafe: is a medication reminder software that allows you to keep track of all drugs, receive notifications when it’s time for a refill, and learn about drug interactions.
Real Plans: is a meal planning application that can assist you in navigating new eating habits or dietary regimes such as low FODMAP, AIP, paleo, dairy-free, or gluten-free.
Talkspace: therapist search tool for online counseling at any time and from any location (accepts insurance)
Aila Health: allows you to track your symptoms, diet, digestion, mood, and other factors for individualized insights and assistance on your autoimmune journey.
Autoimmune Disease Risks
Medical personnel and researchers are baffled as to why some people’s immune systems fail to operate properly.
However, statistics show that women are more likely than men to develop autoimmune illnesses. Women account for 78% of all autoimmune disorders.
This normally happens during a woman’s childbearing years, between the ages of 14 and 44.Other specialists say it is because women have larger quantities of hormones than men.
Another thing that specialists claim is that certain populations are more likely to be affected by this disease than others, such as African-Americans and Hispanics.
Currently, many Americans are diagnosed with autoimmune illnesses. Although not entirely supported by evidence, race and ethnicity may raise the risk of contracting the disease.
Chemical exposure and infections are two examples of environmental variables that cause the immune system to malfunction. When your body identifies an illness, the immune system activates and assaults foreign bodies. However, during this “battle,” healthy cells and tissues become entangled, which is when an autoimmune illness develops. Rheumatoid arthritis, for example, is a condition in which the body assaults the cells in the joints.
An injury is another possibility. An autoimmune reaction happens when a certain portion of the body endures significant levels of stress, according to medical professionals. The runner’s heel is an example. This is a region where the muscle is constantly pulling on the bone to create movement. Blood cells will generally strive to mend exposed tissue as a result of recurrent stress and if the tissue is exposed (as in a wound). Otherwise, an aberrant immune reaction will cause inflammation of the joints and tendons.
There has been a lot of research on how an autoimmune disease develops, but medical specialists are still unable to establish it in black and white.
Symptoms of Autoimmune to Look Out For
If you have an autoimmune disease, you may notice the following signs and symptoms:
- Muscle aches and pains
- Fatigue
- Swelling and redness
- Fever of low severity
- Foot and hand numbness and tingling
- Rashes
- Hair thinning and more.
There are currently approximately 80 autoimmune disorders, each with its own set of symptoms. Psoriasis, for example, has symptoms that come and go, with flare-ups and remissions.
Aside from speaking with the best autoimmune doctors in your area, CareClinic, a health app for iOS and Android, is available. They have made it easier for patients and clinicians to collaborate in developing an effective treatment plan. When you suspect you have an autoimmune disease, you can use this to track your food intake and symptoms.
How difficult is it to be diagnosed?
There is no single test that can be used to rule out autoimmune disorders. That is why patients get irritated when they are not correctly diagnosed. The antinuclear antibody test, or ANA, is usually the initial test performed on most individuals. When the test results are positive, it suggests you have an autoimmune illness, but there is no definite proof of which one.
Patients are also subjected to a complete physical examination and must fully divulge their family medical history.
To rule out autoimmune illnesses, biopsies and x-rays may be performed.
Most individuals can see up to five doctors before being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. This is because the symptoms can be confused with those of other autoimmune and non-autoimmune disorders.
Autoimmune Symptoms Treatment Options
If diagnosing an autoimmune disease is difficult, treating it is even more difficult. However, most doctors focus on managing the autoimmune reaction by doing the following:
- Corticosteroids are used to treat inflammation in the body, such as acute flares.
- Anti-inflammatory medications are used to treat pain and inflammation.
- Paracetamol and codeine are often recommended pain relievers.
- Immunosuppressants – medications that suppress the immune system’s activity.
- High-dose immunosuppression is used when intervention is performed early in order to get positive results.
- Insulin injections to diabetic individuals are used to treat specific insufficiency.
In addition to synthetic drugs, doctors might recommend physical therapy to promote mobility. Surgery is recommended for severe cases, especially for people with Crohn’s disease. Surgery is used to treat intestinal obstruction.
A healthy diet is another option for symptom relief, but it must be cleared by your doctor first to rule out any allergies or other diseases you may be suffering from.
Conclusion on Apps for autoimmune diseases
Technology can be a valuable tool in health management. The applications covered in this post will help you keep track of things like symptoms and medications while you’re on the go.
You may access your history symptoms, triggers, prescriptions, and more whether you’re at home, work, or a doctor’s visit. Many more apps are available; simply search the app store for keywords like “pain management” to find them.
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