How Are Autoimmune Diseases Treated?
Autoimmune diseases are often chronic, requiring lifelong care and monitoring, even when the person may look or feel well. Currently, few autoimmune diseases can be cured or made to “disappear” with treatment. However, many people with these diseases can live normal lives when they receive appropriate medical care. Physicians most often help patients manage the consequences of inflammation caused by the autoimmune disease. For example, in people with Type 1 diabetes, physicians prescribe insulin to control blood sugar levels so that elevated blood sugar will not damage the kidneys, eyes, blood vessels, and nerves. However, the goal of scientific research is to prevent inflammation from causing destruction of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, which are necessary to control blood sugars. On the other hand, in some diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, medication can occasionally slow or stop the immune system’s destruction of the kidneys or joints. Medications or the
