Understanding Autoimmune Diseases in Women
Why 80% of patients affected by these disorders are female
When the body’s immune system doesn’t recognize its cells and treats them as foreign bodies, mistakenly attacking them results in autoimmune disease. There are more than 80 different autoimmune diseases in the world. Out of these, the most common ones are,
Type 1 Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Psoriasis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Scleroderma.
Specialists in neurology, endocrinology, dermatology, hematology, rheumatology, and gastroenterology are usually involved in their diagnosis and treatment. (source)
Around 4% of the world’s population is affected by autoimmune diseases. Because of their genetic structure, women are affected more than men. According to Scientific American nearly 80% of people with these disorders are women which is an astonishing number. Autoimmune diseases rank as the fifth largest cause of death among women under the age of 65. (source)
Why are women more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases?
Here are some of the underlying causes that are responsible for the prevalence of autoimmune disease in females.
Hormonal Patterns
Over a century ago, doctors observed that these diseases affected women more than men. They were treated as separate from each other, with no correlation between them.
In the early 90’s studies revealed that they have common biological patterns. The biggest revelation was that these diseases arose in the periods when a girl or a woman is going through major life transitions like puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
All these major transitions involve changes in the hormones progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. Estrogen is elevated during puberty and pregnancy, and progesterone during pregnancy. Testosterone is found at a lesser degree in females than males and low levels increase the risk for Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis.
Yet in some cases, Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis have developed in childhood even before hormones like estrogen and progesterone kick off during puberty. (source)
The Missing X Chromosome
It is known that males possess XY chromosomes and females possess XX chromosomes. The Y chromosome in males contains only a handful of genes, on the other hand the X chromosome in females contains hundreds of protein-specifying genes.
Having a second X chromosome doubles the amount of these proteins and this could lead to health complications.
But nature has devised a mechanism whereby every cell in the female body decides to inactivate one of its two X chromosomes. There a balance is struck and equal amounts of protein are produced in both female and male bodies.
Researchers found out that one of the reasons for autoimmune disorders can be the result of cells refusing to deactivate the second X chromosome.
(source)
Genetic and Environmental Factors
Autoimmune diseases can be caused by underlying genetic factors and variations over generations, making them hereditary. Environmental factors that can trigger these disorders include sunlight, stress, infections, and viruses. (source) (source)
Difficulties In Treatment and Diagnosis
The factor that makes autoimmune diseases difficult to diagnose can be their overlap with other medical conditions. Fatigue, fatigue, cognitive impairment etc. can complicate timely diagnosis.
There is no complete cure for most autoimmune diseases. Treatment mostly focuses on symptom management and prevention of disease progression.
Research and Hope for Future
Autoimmune diseases can greatly impact a person’s way of living. Aside from chronic pain and fatigue emotional stress is a major hindrance for an individual battling these disorders.
New research and advances in technology are shedding light on early detection and new treatments. Understanding the disease, promoting research, raising awareness and provision of better healthcare facilities will help strive towards a better future for people with autoimmune diseases. (source) (source) (source)
People who are around women living with any autoimmune disease should try to educate themselves about their condition. Compassion and understanding shown by people are the biggest sources of strength and comfort for a person going through a difficult chronic disorder.
✍ — Published by Libby Shively McAvoy at Dancing Elephants Press. Click here for submission guidelines.
