15 Common Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases You Should Never Ignore
Overview
- Autoimmune diseases happen when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy parts of the body instead of protecting them.
- Ongoing tiredness, painful joints, rashes, and digestive problems are among the 15 symptoms covered. These symptoms can have other causes too.
- Women and men can both develop autoimmune diseases. The symptoms depend mainly on the condition and which parts of the body are affected.
- Symptoms that keep returning, get worse, or make everyday tasks difficult should be checked by a doctor.
- Doctors use your symptoms, health history, examination, and suitable tests to find the cause. No single test checks for every autoimmune disease. If your doctor recommends testing, explore Redcliffe Labs' Autoimmune Care package.
Quick Answer: What Are the Early Signs of Autoimmune Disease?
Early signs can include ongoing tiredness, painful or swollen joints, morning stiffness, recurring fever, and skin changes. Other symptoms depend on which part of the body is affected.
No symptom on this list confirms an autoimmune disease. Several other illnesses can cause similar problems. Some autoimmune conditions also have few noticeable symptoms at first. Diagnosis needs a medical assessment, rather than counting how many signs you have.
What Is An Autoimmune Disorder?
Your immune system normally protects you from infections. In an autoimmune disorder, it mistakenly targets your own healthy cells or tissues. This can cause inflammation, swelling, pain, warmth, or irritation, and may affect how an organ works.
Different types of autoimmune disorders affect different parts of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis mainly affects joints. Hashimoto’s disease and Graves’ disease affect the thyroid. Coeliac disease damages the small intestine, while lupus can affect several organs.
That is why two people with autoimmune diseases may have very different symptoms.
15 Possible Symptoms Of Autoimmune Diseases
Some of the following symptoms occur across several autoimmune conditions. Others are linked to particular diseases. They do not all appear together, and they are not equally common in every condition.
1. Tiredness that does not improve enough with rest
Autoimmune fatigue can feel like a lack of energy that makes normal activities difficult. You may feel drained even after resting.
However, tiredness alone does not point to an autoimmune disease. A doctor may also check for other causes, including anaemia and sleep problems.
2. Painful, swollen, or stiff joints
Notice whether your joints look swollen, feel warm, or are difficult to move after waking up or sitting still.
Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis can cause these problems. Tell your doctor if stiffness regularly affects getting dressed, holding a cup, or walking. Joint pain can also have other causes, so the pattern and examination matter.
3. Fever that keeps returning
An unexplained fever that comes back may occur with conditions such as lupus. It can also be caused by an infection or another illness.
Get recurring fever checked rather than assuming it is an autoimmune flare, especially if you have not been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition.
4. A recurring rash or unusual reaction to sunlight
Some autoimmune diseases cause rashes. In lupus, a rash may appear across the cheeks and nose or develop after sun exposure.
A rash alone cannot identify the cause, and not everyone with lupus develops the familiar “butterfly” rash. Take a clear photograph if it fades before your appointment.
5. Unusual hair thinning or patchy hair loss
Hair loss can occur with lupus, autoimmune thyroid disease, or alopecia areata, which causes patches of hair loss.
Many other problems can also affect hair growth. Mention whether the loss is patchy or spread across the scalp, and whether you have noticed other changes in your health.
6. Mouth or nose sores that keep coming back
Repeated sores inside the mouth or nose can occur in lupus. Some may be painless.
Most mouth ulcers are not caused by an autoimmune disease. Still, tell your doctor about sores that repeatedly return, particularly if you also have joint swelling, fever, or a rash.
7. Persistently dry eyes and a dry mouth
Eyes that often feel gritty or burning, together with a persistently dry mouth, may need assessment.
Sjögren’s disease can affect the glands that make tears and saliva. Some people find speaking or swallowing dry food difficult. Medicines and other conditions can also cause dryness.
8. Ongoing digestive problems
Repeated bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, or stomach pain can occur in coeliac disease. This is an immune reaction to gluten that damages the small intestine.
These symptoms also occur in many other digestive conditions. Persistent symptoms deserve attention, especially when they come with weight loss or unexplained anaemia.
9. Weight changes without a clear reason
An unexpected change in weight is worth discussing if your eating habits and activity have stayed much the same.
An underactive thyroid caused by Hashimoto’s disease can lead to weight gain. Graves’ disease, which causes an overactive thyroid, can lead to weight loss, sometimes despite a good appetite.
10. Feeling unusually cold or struggling with heat
Feeling colder than others in the same room can happen with an underactive thyroid. Excessive sweating and difficulty tolerating heat can happen with an overactive thyroid.
Autoimmune thyroid diseases are possible causes, but not all thyroid problems are autoimmune. Symptoms and appropriate tests help your doctor work out the cause.
11. Repeated numbness or tingling
Persistent pins and needles, burning, or reduced feeling in your hands or feet should be assessed.
Some autoimmune conditions, including Sjögren’s disease, can affect nerves. However, many non-autoimmune problems can cause similar sensations. Mention where the feeling occurs, how long it lasts, and whether you also have weakness.
12. Muscle weakness that affects normal tasks
Muscle weakness means finding it harder to do something your muscles could previously manage, such as getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, or lifting your arms to comb your hair.
This can occur in inflammatory muscle diseases such as myositis. It is different from simply feeling tired after exercise and needs medical assessment.
13. Fingers or toes changing colour in the cold
Fingers or toes that turn pale, blue, or red and feel numb in the cold may be showing Raynaud’s phenomenon.
Raynaud’s often occurs on its own. It can also occur alongside autoimmune diseases such as lupus or scleroderma, so a new or troublesome pattern should be discussed with a doctor.
14. Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
Some people with autoimmune conditions experience “brain fog”—difficulty concentrating, remembering things, or following a task.
This symptom is not specific to autoimmune disease. Tell your doctor if it is new, persistent, or affecting your work and daily life, especially alongside other unexplained symptoms.
15. Unusual thirst and frequent urination
Feeling very thirsty and passing urine more often can be signs of diabetes, including autoimmune type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can begin in adulthood.
These symptoms need prompt assessment, particularly with unexplained weight loss. They can also occur in other types of diabetes and do not identify the type by themselves.
Are Autoimmune Disease Symptoms Different In Females And Males?
Autoimmune disease symptoms in females and males overlap. The symptoms mainly depend on the condition and the organs involved.
Many autoimmune diseases are more common in women, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s disease, and autoimmune thyroid disease. Men can develop them too, so persistent symptoms deserve the same attention.
Some conditions can also affect periods. For example, an underactive thyroid caused by Hashimoto’s disease may lead to heavy or irregular periods. Period changes alone do not establish an autoimmune diagnosis.
When Should You See A Doctor?
Arrange an appointment if unexplained symptoms keep returning, are getting worse, or interfere with normal activities. You do not need to wait until several symptoms appear together.
Start with a general physician or an internal medicine doctor. Depending on the findings, they may refer you to a rheumatologist, endocrinologist, dermatologist, or another specialist.
Symptoms can sometimes improve and return later. This happens in some autoimmune diseases, but it also happens in other conditions. A better day does not remove the need to discuss a recurring problem.
Get urgent medical advice for new chest pain or unexplained breathlessness. Seek emergency care for severe breathing difficulty, chest tightness or heaviness, sudden one-sided weakness, trouble speaking, or sudden loss of vision. These symptoms need immediate attention regardless of their cause.
Unusual thirst and frequent urination with vomiting, stomach pain, deep or rapid breathing, or marked drowsiness can signal a diabetes emergency. Go to the nearest emergency department rather than waiting for a routine test appointment.
Which Tests Help Doctors Investigate Autoimmune Symptoms?
There is no single test that checks for every autoimmune disease. Your doctor chooses tests after discussing your symptoms and examining you. Sometimes, scans or a small tissue sample called a biopsy are also needed.
The following tests may help in particular situations. This is not a list that everyone needs.
|
Test |
What it checks |
Why a doctor may order it |
|
Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets |
To look for anaemia or other blood cell changes | |
|
Markers of inflammation |
To assess inflammation; they do not identify its cause | |
|
A group of antibodies that can react against the body’s own cells |
When symptoms suggest conditions such as lupus or certain other autoimmune diseases | |
|
Antibodies associated with rheumatoid arthritis |
To help investigate suspected inflammatory arthritis | |
|
Thyroid function and possible autoimmune causes |
When symptoms or findings suggest a thyroid disorder | |
|
Kidney function tests and urine tests |
Kidney function and changes such as protein or blood in urine |
When checking possible kidney involvement |
|
Antibodies and information needed to interpret testing |
When symptoms or medical history suggest coeliac disease | |
|
Blood sugar levels |
When symptoms suggest diabetes; further tests may help identify its type |
A positive ANA result does not automatically mean you have an autoimmune disease. Healthy people can test positive too. ANA is not a general screening test for everyone who feels tired. Your doctor interprets the result alongside your symptoms and examination.
Similarly, normal blood tests do not always exclude rheumatoid arthritis. Follow-up may still be needed when symptoms or examination findings suggest it.
Most tests listed above use a blood sample taken from your arm; urine testing needs a urine sample. Fasting depends on the tests ordered or the package selected. Confirm the preparation instructions and tell your doctor about medicines and supplements you take.
How Can You Prepare For Your Appointment?
A short record can help your doctor understand symptoms that are not present on the day.
Bring:
- A symptom timeline: When each problem started, how often it returns, and what makes it better or worse.
- Photos of visible changes: Rashes, swelling, or finger colour changes.
- Previous reports and a medicine list: Include supplements and any treatments already tried.
- Relevant family history: Mention known autoimmune conditions in close relatives.
Describe the effect on daily life too. “My fingers are stiff enough that I struggle to button my shirt” gives your doctor more detail than “I have body pain.”
What Should You Do Next?
Repeated, unexplained symptoms deserve a clear assessment. Getting the cause checked can help you find suitable care, whether the problem is autoimmune or something else.
If your doctor has advised testing, explore the Autoimmune Care package at Redcliffe Labs and check whether its included tests match your prescription. It combines ANA with several general health checks, but it cannot diagnose or rule out every autoimmune disease. Some people need different or additional tests.
For a specific thyroid investigation, Redcliffe Labs also offers a thyroid antibodies panel. Choose testing based on medical advice, and review the results with your doctor.
FAQs
1. Are autoimmune diseases contagious?
No. You cannot catch an autoimmune disease through touch, sharing food, or living with someone who has one. An infection may sometimes play a role in triggering a condition in a susceptible person, but the autoimmune disease itself does not spread between people.
2. If a parent has an autoimmune disease, will I develop one?
Not necessarily. Family history can increase the chance of certain autoimmune conditions, but it does not make them inevitable. Genes are only part of the picture. Tell your doctor about your family history if you develop unexplained symptoms.
3. Can someone have more than one autoimmune disease?
Yes. Having one autoimmune disease increases the likelihood of developing another. However, a new symptom can also have an unrelated cause. Let your doctor assess it rather than assuming it belongs to your existing condition.
4. Can autoimmune diseases be cured permanently?
Most autoimmune diseases do not currently have a permanent cure, but treatment can control symptoms and reduce disease activity. Some people have periods of remission, when symptoms improve or disappear. Remission does not always mean the disease has gone permanently.
5. Should I stop eating wheat before a coeliac disease test?
Do not start a gluten-free diet before testing unless your treating doctor advises you to. Removing gluten, including wheat used in regular atta and roti, can affect the results. If you have already stopped eating gluten, tell your doctor before arranging tests.
6. Can an autoimmune disease start after 40 or 50?
Yes. Autoimmune diseases can begin at different ages. For example, Sjögren’s disease commonly starts in people in their 40s and 50s, although it can occur at other ages. New, persistent symptoms should not be dismissed as ageing alone.
