From 1918 to COVID-19, epidemics are stories about people. Will we remember?

Different Types Of Diseases

DiseasesclosediseaseIllness affecting plants and animals. Can be grouped into two types:

Non-communicable diseases include:

Different types of disease may interact. This can mean that the presence of one disease can lead to a higher chance of developing another disease.

Anything that increases a chance of developing a disease is called a risk factorcloserisk factorSomething that increases a person's chances of developing a disease.. Risk factors can be caused by lifestyle factorscloselifestyle factorsHabits which can be modified that impact positively or negatively upon physical and/or mental health. Or substances in a person's body or their environment. Some diseases are caused by an interaction between risk factors.

Some risk factors have been proven to cause a disease. We know that smoking causes lung cancer. Other risk factors are linked but not proven.

Some diseases, their effects and their risk factors are shown in the table below.

Learn more about non-communicable diseases with Dr Alex Lathbridge.

Fungal Infections Of The Skin

A fungal infection, also called mycosis, is a skin disease caused by a fungus.

There are millions of species of fungi. They live in the dirt, on plants, on household surfaces, and on your skin. Sometimes, they can lead to skin problems like rashes or bumps.

A fungal skin infection might cause:

Irritation

Scaly skin

Redness

Itching

Swelling

Blisters

Fungal skin infections can happen anywhere on your body. Some of the most common are athlete's foot, jock itch, ringworm, and yeast infections.

Athlete's foot, also called tinea pedis, is a fungal infection of your foot.

The fungi grow best in warm, moist places such as shoes, socks, swimming pools, locker rooms, and public showers. They're often found in the summer and in hot, humid climates. It happens more often in people who wear tight shoes, who don't change their sweaty socks, and who use public baths and pools.

Athlete's foot causes

The fungi behind athlete's foot live on the dead tissue of your hair, toenails, and outer skin layers. At least four kinds of fungus can cause the infection. The most common is Trichophyton rubrum.

Athlete's foot symptoms

Signs of athlete's foot vary from person to person. You might have:

Peeling, cracking, and scaly feet

Blisters

Skin that's red, softened, or broken down

Itching

Burning

Types of athlete's foot

Interdigital. This is also called toe web infection. Most people with athlete's foot have this form. It usually occurs between your two smallest toes. The infection can spread to the sole of your foot.

Moccasin. This form can begin with irritation, dryness, itching, or scaly skin. Over time, your skin may thicken and crack. This infection can involve your entire sole and extend onto the sides of your foot.

Vesicular. This is the rarest kind of athlete's foot. It usually begins with a sudden outbreak of fluid-filled blisters, often on the underside of your foot. They also can appear between your toes, on your heel, or on top of your foot.

Athlete's foot diagnosis

Not all itchy, scaly feet are caused by a fungus. Your doctor may scrape off a bit of skin and look at it under a microscope to check for a different condition.

Athlete's foot treatment

Your doctor might give you antifungal medicine to put on your skin or, in severe cases, another kind to take by mouth. Be sure to keep your feet clean and dry.

Athlete's foot prevention

To keep from getting athlete's foot, wear shower sandals in public showering areas, wear shoes that let your feet breathe, and wash your feet every day with soap and water. Dry them thoroughly, and use a quality foot powder.

A type of fungus called tinea causes jock itch. The infection is also known as tinea cruris. Tinea loves warm, moist areas like your genitals, inner thighs, and buttocks. Infections happen more often in the summer or in warm, wet climates.

Jock itch is a red, itchy rash that's often ring-shaped.

Is jock itch contagious?

It's only mildly contagious. It can spread from person to person through direct contact or indirectly through objects with the fungus on them.

Jock itch symptoms

Symptoms of jock itch include:

Itching, chafing, or burning on your groin or thigh

A red, circular, rash with raised edges

Redness on your groin or thigh

Flaking, peeling, or cracking skin

Jock itch diagnosis

Doctors can usually diagnose it by what it looks like and where it is on your body. They might look at a sample of skin under a microscope to be sure.

Jock itch treatment

Keep the affected area clean and dry. Over-the-counter antifungal medicines can treat most cases of jock itch. In severe cases, your doctor might need to give you a prescription cream. No matter your treatment, be sure to:

Wash and dry the area with a clean towel

Use the antifungal medicine as directed

Change clothes -- especially your underwear -- every day

Ringworm, also called tinea corporis, isn't a worm but a fungal skin infection.  It's named for its ring-shaped rash with a winding, worm-like edge.

Is ringworm contagious?

Ringworm can spread through direct contact with infected people or animals. You can also pick it up off clothing or furniture. Heat and humidity can help spread the infection.

Ringworm symptoms

Ringworm is a red, circular, flat sore that can happen along with scaly skin. The outer part of the sore might be raised while the skin in the middle appears normal. Patches or red rings may overlap.

Ringworm diagnosis

Your doctor can diagnose ringworm based on your symptoms. They might ask whether you've come into contact with infected people or animals. They might also take samples from the area and look at them under a microscope to be sure.

Ringworm treatment

Treatment usually involves antifungal medications that you put on your skin. You might use an over-the-counter cream such as:

Clotrimazole (Lotrimin, Mycelex)

Miconazole (Micatin, Monistat-Derm)

Terbinafine (Lamisil)

In more severe cases, you might need prescription medications to put on your skin or take by mouth.

Yeast infections of your skin are called cutaneous candidiasis. A type of fungus called candida causes these infections when it grows too much. Yeast infections aren't contagious.

The infections are most common in warm, moist, creased areas of your body, including your armpits and groin. They often happen in people who are obese or who have diabetes. People taking antibiotics are also at higher risk.

Candida can cause diaper rash in infants. It can also cause infections in your nails, vagina, or mouth (oral thrush).

Yeast infection symptoms

Signs of a yeast infection on your skin include:

Rash

Patches that ooze clear fluid

Pimple-like bumps

Itching

Burning

Signs of a yeast infection in your nail beds include:

Swelling

Pain

Pus

A white or yellow nail that separates from the nail bed

Signs of thrush (yeast infection of your mouth) include:

White patches on your tongue and inside your cheeks

Pain

Signs of a vaginal yeast infection include:

White or yellow discharge from your vagina

Itching

Redness in the external area of your vagina

Burning

Yeast infection diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your medical history and do a physical exam. They might also take a sample from the affected area to look at under a microscope.

Yeast infection treatment

Treatment depends on the infection. Medicated creams can treat most skin yeast infections. For a vaginal infection, you can usually use medicated suppositories. A medicated mouthwash or lozenges that dissolve in your mouth may treat oral thrush. If you have a severe infection or a weakened immune system, you might need anti-yeast medications that you take by mouth.

Everything To Know About Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which your immune system mistakenly damages healthy cells in your body. Types include rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and some thyroid conditions.

Your immune system usually protects you from diseases and infections. When it senses these pathogens, it creates specific cells to target foreign cells.

Usually, your immune system can tell the difference between foreign cells and your cells.

But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakes parts of your body, such as your joints or skin, as foreign. It releases proteins called autoantibodies that attack healthy cells.

Some autoimmune diseases target only one organ. Type 1 diabetes damages your pancreas. Other conditions, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus, can affect your whole body.

Below we provide an overview of some of the most common autoimmune diseases.

Doctors don't know exactly what causes the immune system to misfire. Yet some people are more likely to get an autoimmune disease than others.

Some factors that may increase your risk of developing an autoimmune disease can include:

Your sex: People assigned female at birth between the age of 15 and 44 are more likely to get an autoimmune disease than people assigned male at birth.

Your family history: You may be more likely to develop autoimmune diseases due to inherited genes, though environmental factors may also contribute.

Environmental factors: Exposure to sunlight, mercury, chemicals like solvents or those used in agriculture, cigarette smoke, or certain bacterial and viral infections, including COVID-19, may increase your risk of autoimmune disease.

Ethnicity: Some autoimmune diseases are more common in people in certain groups. For example, White people from Europe and the United States may be more likely to develop autoimmune muscle disease, while lupus tends to occur more in people who are African American, Hispanic, or Latino.

Nutrition: Your diet and nutrients may impact the risk and severity of autoimmune disease.

Other health conditions: Certain health conditions, including obesity and other autoimmune diseases, may make you more likely to develop an autoimmune disease.

Different autoimmune diseases may have similar early symptoms. These can include:

With some autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), symptoms may come and go. A period of symptoms is called a flare up. A period when the symptoms go away is called remission.

Individual autoimmune diseases can also have their own unique symptoms depending on the body systems affected. For example, with type 1 diabetes, you may experience extreme thirst and weight loss. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may cause bloating and diarrhea.

Researchers have identified more than 100 autoimmune diseases. Here are 14 more common ones.

1. Type 1 diabetes

Your pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in your pancreas.

High blood sugar from type 1 diabetes can damage the blood vessels and organs. This can include your:

heart

kidneys

eyes

nerves

2. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

In RA, your immune system attacks the joints. This causes symptoms affecting the joints such as:

swelling

warmth

soreness

stiffness

While RA more commonly affects people as they get older, it can also start as early as your 30s. A related condition, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, can start in childhood.

3. Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis

Skin cells grow and then shed when they're no longer needed. Psoriasis causes skin cells to multiply too quickly. The extra cells build up and form inflamed patches. On lighter skin tones, patches may appear red with silver-white scales of plaque. On darker skin tones, psoriasis may appear purplish or dark brown with gray scales.

Up to 30% of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis. This can cause joint symptoms that include:

4. Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) damages the protective coating surrounding nerve cells (myelin sheath) in your central nervous system. Damage to the myelin sheath slows the transmission speed of messages between your brain and spinal cord to and from the rest of your body.

This damage can lead to:

numbness

weakness

balance issues

trouble walking

Different forms of MS progress at different rates. Difficulties with walking are one of the most common mobility issues with MS.

5. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Although doctors in the 1800s first described lupus as a skin disease because of the rash it commonly produces, the systemic form, which is most common, actually affects many organs. This can include your:

joints

kidneys

brain

heart

Common symptoms can include:

joint pain

fatigue

rashes

6. Inflammatory bowel disease

IBD describes conditions that cause inflammation in the lining of the intestinal wall. Each type of IBD affects a different part of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Common symptoms of IBD can include:

diarrhea

abdominal pain

bleeding ulcers

7. Addison's disease

Addison's disease affects the adrenal glands, which produce the hormones cortisol and aldosterone as well as androgen hormones. Too little cortisol can affect how your body uses and stores carbohydrates and sugar (glucose). Too little aldosterone can lead to sodium loss and excess potassium in your bloodstream.

Common symptoms of Addison's disease can include:

weakness

fatigue

weight loss

low blood sugar

8. Graves' disease

Graves' disease attacks the thyroid gland in your neck, causing it to produce too much of its hormones. Thyroid hormones control the body's energy usage, known as metabolism.

Having too much of these hormones revs up your body's activities, causing symptoms that may include:

Some people with Graves' disease may also experience symptoms affecting the skin (Graves' dermopathy) or eyes (Graves' ophthalmopathy).

9. Sjögren's disease

This condition attacks the glands that provide lubrication to your eyes and mouth.

The hallmark symptoms of Sjögren's disease are dry eyes and dry mouth, but it may also affect your joints or skin.

10. Hashimoto's thyroiditis

In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, thyroid hormone production slows to a deficiency. Common symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis can include:

11. Myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis affects nerve impulses that help the brain control muscles. When the communication from nerves to muscles is impaired, signals can't direct the muscles to contract.

The most common symptom is muscle weakness. It may worsen with activity and improve with rest. Muscle weakness can also affect:

eye movements

opening and closing eyes

swallowing

facial movements

12. Celiac disease

People with celiac disease can't eat foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and other grain products. When gluten is in the small intestine, the immune system attacks this part of the GI tract and causes inflammation.

People with celiac disease may experience digestive issues after consuming gluten. Symptoms can include:

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, celiac disease affects about 1% of people in the world.

13. Autoimmune vasculitis

Autoimmune vasculitis happens when your immune system attacks blood vessels. The inflammation that results narrows your arteries and veins, allowing less blood to flow through them.

14. Pernicious anemia

Pernicious anemia may happen when an autoimmune disorder causes your body to not produce enough of a substance called intrinsic factor. Having a deficiency in this substance reduces the amount of vitamin B12 your small intestine absorbs from food. It can cause a low red blood cell count.

Without enough of this vitamin, you'll develop anemia, and your body's ability for proper DNA synthesis will be altered.

It can cause symptoms that include:

This rare autoimmune disease typically occurs in people ages 60 to 70 and older.

Can an autoimmune disease be cured?

Generally speaking, autoimmune disorders cannot be cured. They can, however, be controlled with medications and other treatments.

Researchers are continuing to look for a cure, so the answer to this question may change in the coming years.

What is the average life expectancy of someone with an autoimmune disease?

There are over 80 different types of autoimmune disorders and most are not fatal. People can expect to live full lives with no shortening of typical life expectancy.

What are 5 common symptoms of an autoimmune disorder?

Some autoimmune disorders can have similar symptoms at early stages. These can include fatigue, dizziness or lightheadedness, low grade fever, muscle aches, and swelling.

What is the most serious autoimmune disease?

Many researchers recognize giant cell myocarditis, a rare autoimmune condition that can lead to heart failure, as one of the most serious autoimmune diseases. It has a 1-year mortality rate of 70%.

What are the most common autoimmune disorders?

The most common autoimmune diseases are psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto's, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.

The symptoms of autoimmune diseases often overlap, complicating diagnoses.

Blood tests that look for autoantibodies can help doctors diagnose these conditions. Treatments include medications to calm the overactive immune response and bring down inflammation in the body.

The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you need help finding a specialist.

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