Common Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases in Women

There are times when all of us feel like our bodies are under attack. Getting the flu. Having a migraine headache. Suffering through allergy season. But for people with autoimmune diseases, their bodies are quite literally under attack, and this feeling isn’t a temporary experience that goes away on its own.

An autoimmune disease is a chronic condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body instead of defending it; it develops when the body’s natural defense system can’t tell the difference between its own cells and foreign cells.

This causes the body to attack healthy tissues. And keep attacking them.

There are more than eighty types of autoimmune diseases affecting nearly every part of the body. Around one in fifteen people has an autoimmune condition.

For some reason, women experience autoimmune diseases more often than men. According to one estimate, eighty percent of all individuals affected by autoimmune disorders are women.

For some reason, women also find it more challenging to get a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease.

In truth, it can be difficult to diagnose autoimmune diseases. There isn’t a single test that can be used, and many of the most common autoimmune disease symptoms are vague and can be confused with other health issues. Still, healthcare providers too often dismiss autoimmune disease symptoms in women or attribute them to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Advocacy often starts with understanding. That’s why we thought it might be helpful to highlight the most common symptoms of the most common autoimmune diseases - so the next time you feel like your body is in a constant fight with itself, you can arm yourself with a better understanding of autoimmune disease symptoms and the advocacy needed to ‘push’ your provider to pay more attention; to move past old patterns; and to help create a more equitable healthcare system that stops ignoring women and taking the easy way out.

Common Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases in Women

Even if there are a myriad of autoimmune diseases out here, many of them share symptoms. Keep in mind that even if autoimmune disorders are chronic conditions, symptoms can range from mild to severe and can come and go. Autoimmune diseases can ‘flare’ up, which might cause symptoms to be more acute and bothersome. They can also go into ‘remission’, which might bring temporary relief.

Here are some of the most common autoimmune symptoms women might experience:

Fatigue and Movement Problems

Persistent fatigue that doesn't improve with rest is a hallmark sign of many autoimmune diseases. This type of tiredness can have a significant impact on daily activities and quality of life.

• Myasthenia Gravis, a neurological condition that affects nerve impulse that control muscles, can cause eye muscles to feel tired and weak, especially after use.
• Multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological disease that attacks the protective coating around nerves, can also cause fatigue after activity and, eventually, lead to issues with balance and coordination.
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease that attacks the linings of joints, can also lead to issues with movement and flexibility.

Joint Pain and Swelling

Many autoimmune conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints.

Skin Issues

Autoimmune diseases can cause a slew of skin problems, including rashes, redness, or scaly patches. Lupus often arrives with a butterfly-shaped rash that spreads across the nose and cheeks (but spares the area above the upper lip). These skin lesions can worsen with sun exposure too. Psoriasis, which makes new skin cells rise to the skin surface too fast, can cause thick, red, itchy patches with silvery scales to form on the head, elbows, and knees.

Digestive Problems

Certain autoimmune disorders, like celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or autoimmune hepatitis, can lead to digestive symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation.

Hair Loss

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that attacks hair follicles and causes sudden, unexplained hair loss. Lupus and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (an underactive thyroid) can also contribute to hair thinning.

Muscle Pain and Weakness

Many autoimmune diseases can lead to muscle inflammation, pain, weakness, and stiffness that makes it difficult to perform everyday tasks. These symptoms are especially common in conditions like dermatomyositis and polymyositis.

Swollen Glands

Some autoimmune diseases, such as Sjögren’s syndrome, cause glands to swell. This condition impacts the body’s moisture-producing glands and leads to symptoms like dry eyes and dry mouth.

Numbness and Tingling

Autoimmune conditions, like multiple sclerosis, can attack the nerves and cause a sensation of numbness, tingling, or a "pins and needles" feeling in the hands or feet.

Hormonal Imbalances

Autoimmune thyroid disorders, like Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Graves' disease (an overactive thyroid), can upset the balance of hormones and cause weight changes, temperature sensitivity (heat or cold intolerance), or menstrual irregularities.

Low-grade Fever

Chronic inflammation associated with most autoimmune diseases can lead to low-grade fever, especially during flare-ups.

Brain Fog

Some autoimmune conditions – like lupus and multiple sclerosis - can cause cognitive issues, including problems with memory, concentration, and focus.

Weight Changes

Unexplained weight loss or weight gain often accompanies autoimmune diseases. For example, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can cause weight loss whereas Graves’ disease, Addison’s disease (an autoimmune disorder that impacts the adrenal glands and impacts cortisol, aldosterone, and androgen hormones), IBD, and type 1 diabetes can promote weight loss.

Eye Problems

Some autoimmune disorders can lead to eye issues. Early symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis can include dropping eyelids, double vision, and difficulty maintaining a steady gaze. Graves’ disease can cause exophthalmos (thyroid eye disease), a condition where your eyeballs “bulge” or protrude from their normal positions. Type 1 diabetes can lead to blurry vision. Other autoimmune conditions, like Sjögren’s syndrome and lupus, can lead to dry eyes.

Autoimmune diseases are common, chronic, and complicated disorders that impact many people - especially women. Thankfully, the medical community has made massive strides in developing drugs (and finding new uses for old drugs) to help manage autoimmune diseases, but early diagnosis and treatment remain critical factors in relieving symptoms and preventing long-term complications.

While the main symptoms of many autoimmune conditions, like Sjögren’s syndrome (dry eyes and mouth) or alopecia areata (patchy hair loss), might be viewed as more annoying than dangerous, other autoimmune diseases, like lupus and type 1 diabetes, can lead to long-term complications, life-threatening side effects, and cause permanent damage to the blood vessels, heart, kidneys, brain, eyes, joints, and nervous system.

If you experience persistent or unexplained symptoms that point toward a possible autoimmune disease, it’s essential to see a healthcare professional for a physical exam, blood work, and other recommended tests. While autoimmune diseases can be hard to detect, it’s best to keep up with annual physical exams—they can be a crucial step toward early detection and care. Tia’s Whole Health Journey is a great start to starting your preventative healthcare journey.

Know your stuff. Stand your ground. Use your agency. And, most importantly, don’t ever apologize for experiencing symptoms or for expecting to be heard. There is hope and help out there—even if, sometimes, you have to look hard to be truly seen.