Autoimmunity FAQS - How Are Autoimmune Diseases Treated?
Adapted by Tracee Cornforth
Autoimmunity takes many forms. There are also many treatments for it. Treatment depends on the type of disease, how severe it is, and its symptoms. Generally, treatments have one of three goals:
- Relieving
symptoms--If your symptoms bother you, your doctor may suggest
treatments that give some relief. Relieving symptoms may be as
simple as taking a drug for pain relief. It may also be as
involved as having surgery.
- Preserving
organ function--When autoimmune diseases threaten organs,
treatment may be needed to prevent damage. Such treatments may
include drugs to control an inflamed kidney in people with lupus.
Insulin injections can regulate blood sugar in people with
diabetes. These treatments don't stop the disease. But they can
save organ function. They can also help people live with disease
complications.
- Targeting disease mechanisms--Some drugs may also be used to target how the disease works. In other words, they can suppress the immune system. These drugs include cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan*) and cyclosporine (Neoral and Sandimmune). The same immune-suppressing drug may be used for many diseases.
Your doctor may not prescribe a treatment. If your symptoms are mild, the risks of treatment may be worse than the symptoms. You may choose to put off treatment for now. But you should watch for signs that your disease is progressing. Visit your doctor regularly. You need to catch changes before they lead to serious damage.
*Brand names included in this set of FAQS are provided as examples only, and their inclusion does not mean that these products are endorsed by the National Institutes of Health, any other Government agency, or About.com. Also, if a particular brand name is not mentioned, this does not mean or imply that the product is unsatisfactory.
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Suggested Reading: Living Well With Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You... That You Need To Know by Mary J. Shomon
Adapted
from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal
and Skin Diseases NIAMS/National Institutes of Health (NIH)
1 AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
NIH Publication No. 02-4858
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