Our immune system is a brigade that keeps away illnesses and diseases. There are countless bacteria and viruses that loathe around us, and if not for the immune system, we would be falling sick every short while. While controlling the unhealthy bacteria in the environment may be beyond our control, we can strengthen our immune system to withstand and put up a fight against these viruses. How do you do this? The answer is with use of immune boosters. Here are natural ways that act as immune boosters and aid in keeping your body fit and healthy. Regular physical activity – Today, most people live a sedentary lifestyle, and this way of living puts one at a higher risk of contracting infections. Exercise may sound like a very boring activity to practice every day. However, as cliche, as may sound, exercising every day is one of the most significant factors in keeping your immune system healthy. Not only does it keep your body well-trimmed, but keeps all the infectious diseases away. Eat nutritious food – Unhealthy foods weaken the immune system in more ways than one. From not providing the needed nutrition to making the system more vulnerable to flu’s in the environment, these foods affect the body’s healthy functioning.

The human body, though vulnerable, is quite capable of protecting itself. The nature that nurtures us has elements in it that are known to cause damage, which can be short-term or can last a lifetime. The body’s immune system is credited with protecting the body from outside agents, and this ensures that we don’t fall prey to diseases that aim at disrupting our body’s functioning. However, trouble surfaces when the very immune system that is supposed to protect the body, starts attacking it from the inside. The immune system begins attacking the healthy cells instead of the bacteria and viruses, and this affects the functioning of the body’s organs. The autoimmune diseases that arise due to the malfunctioning immune system can affect any part of the body and result in the deterioration of the same. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, rheumatism, thyroid diseases, etc. are examples of common autoimmune diseases. However, some autoimmune diseases are rare, and the damage they cause is quite grave as well. Here are some rare autoimmune diseases that can cause severe pain if left untreated. Grave’s disease – One of the most severe autoimmune diseases that can affect people is Grave’s disease. When the immune system produces antibodies, which activate the TSH receptors, and this, in turn, leads to an overproduction of the thyroid hormone.

Autoimmune diseases strike the body when the immune system goes rogue and starts attacking the healthy cells. This affects the functioning of certain organs and even their structure. The symptoms of autoimmune diseases tend to overlap with that of other common diseases. This makes it difficult for doctors to pinpoint what exactly ails the patient. This often leads doctors to attribute the symptoms to stress-related disorders or organ malfunctions. There are around 80 known types of autoimmune diseases; each has different methods of diagnosis. Despite the differences, most autoimmune diseases are usually diagnosed with a common set of tests: Organ function and inflammation tests : This is one of the most elementary tests. However, a test of organ function alone is not sufficient for the correct diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. Auto-antibody test : Auto-antibodies are made by the immune system to attack healthy cells and tissues in the body. There are blood tests that check for the presence of auto-antibodies in the bloodstream. These tests can be useful for quick diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. Not only tests but a little bit of forthcoming and cooperation on the part of the patient can also help doctors in timely diagnosis.

Lupus is basically an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own organs and tissues. Lupus patients experience tissue damage in various parts of the body including heart, joints, brain, lungs, kidney, and the endocrine glands including thyroid, adrenals, and many more. According to a research, 90 percent of lupus patients are women. Itching, headache, depression, anxiety, skin rashes, digestive issues, sleeping troubles, memory loss, fatigue are some of its common symptoms. Here are a few tips and techniques on how one can prevent and fight against this disease with some easy day to day cures and measures. Know the symptoms Lupus can be caused by eating a poor diet or lack of essential nutrients and can also be caused genetically if any of your family members has a lupus or any autoimmune disease history. It basically affects people between the ages of 1545. This disease is followed by a number of other small body problems, allergic reactions, hormonal imbalances, indigestion, metal toxicity, conceiving issues, stress, body pain, insomnia, stiffness, swelling, fever, mouth ulcers, memory loss and confusions, blurred vision, shortness of breath, chest pain, sunburns, skin rashes, high blood pressure, lung damage, infections, heart issues, and many more.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. When the immune system becomes hyperactive the immune system starts attacking body parts itself causing inflammation and destruction of tissue. Autoimmune diseases are characterised by periodic flare ups and remissions. What is usually called lupus is medically known as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. As the name indicates it can affect any of the body systems and organs in them and it is the most virulent of all. Lupus affects each person in a unique way. Luckily all symptoms are not manifested by every patient; while some gets certain symptoms, the others end up getting the rest. Lupus starts innocuously, in the age group of 18 to 30 years, and looks like a myriad of common diseases. It is important to identify it at the earliest as it is easy to manage and control it. The prognosis improves vastly and one can expect to live an active life to the full span. An important and early feature is spells of fatigue which flares up and remits periodically. If one experiences, frequently, such spells of fatigue one should contact his doctor and the appropriate treatment sought. It has a low-grade fever of 98.5 to 101 degree F which frequently comes and goes with no discernible cause.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease and has frequent flare ups and has alternating remissions. This is a common feature of all autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune is a condition of over activity of the immune system and they in their hyperactivity stats attacking the patient’s body itself. The initial symptoms mimic those of many common diseases. Catching the onset of lupus very early on improves the prognosis greatly. One can expect an active life to the normal span, of course, with constant medical monitoring and necessary timely treatment. It is essential to recognize the very initial symptoms. Almost 90% of patients have experienced recurring spells of fatigue which shows alternating flaring up and subsiding is to be taken seriously. Another common initial symptom to be weary of is recurring low grade fever of 98.5 to 101 degree F which has the characteristic ‘on-again off-again’ and has no discernible reasons. Another early symptom is a characteristic thinning of hair and losing of hair. Hair becomes thin, brittle, rough and fall off. This is not necessarily confined to head. The appearance of the hair is peculiar enough to earn the name ‘lupus hair’. A non-itching red eruption shaped like a butterfly spreading over the ridge of the nose and spreading on both the cheeks.

Lupus is of many types depending on its nature and the organs it affects. The disease commonly called Lupus is the most virulent form attacking almost all organs. Its medical name is Systemic Lupus erythematosus SLE. Another variety is called discoid lupus which confines it action to the skin only. It does not affect other organs. It results in rashes appearing on the face, scalp and neck. Less than 10% of the patients tend to end up with the systemic variety. There is no means to predict or prevent the progression of this disease. Yet another is drug induced lupus. Two drugs commonly associated with this are, an antihypertensive drug, hydralazine, and the other procainamide used for controlling heart arrhythmia. There are a number of drugs that are known to cause lupus. It is seen that the withdrawal of the concerned drugs brings about the cessation of the disease. A very rare type is called neonatal lupus. This occurs when the mother passes autoimmune antibodies to a fetus. The unborn child and the newborn can have skin rashes and other complications involving heart and blood. Usually a skin rash appears which fades away in about six months. Since 90% of those suffering from lupus are women, estrogen, the female hormone, was thought to have something to do with lupus.