An autoimmune disease is one of the genetic diseases that may pass along bloodlines, although it is possible to contract it yourself from an environmental trigger. Seventy-nine percent of autoimmune diseases occur in women between the ages of 12 and 40, affecting African Americans, American Indians and Latinas, as well as Caucasians. Knowing what runs in your family is very important for early detection, so find out if any of your close relatives have had an underactive or overactive thyroid, lupus, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis, which is one of the common autoimmune diseases, affects women in 75% of the approximately 2 million cases; within a few years, it leaves 30-40% of untreated sufferers disabled. Patients suffer stiffness of joints, immobility, chronic fatigue and inflammation. Lupus is another of the autoimmune diseases that causes swelling, weakness, muscle or joint pain and insomnia. A butterfly rash and light sensitivity also typically occur as telltale signs of lupus.

The danger untreated lupus presents is serious damage to internal organs and kidney failure, as well as seizures, depression, blood clots, depression, psychosis, strokes or migraines. Other autoimmune diseases include multiple sclerosis (although some debate the classification), type 1 diabetes, hepatitis, Addison’s disease, Wegener’s disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Grave’s syndrome and over/underactive thyroids, so you’ll want to check your family history for those genetic diseases as well.

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