4 autoimmune conditions that can make you gain or lose weight

Losing or gaining weight is not always influenced by your food choices and lifestyle habits.

Sometimes you may put on kilos or shed some unexpectedly due to some underlying health problems. Autoimmune diseases may lead to drastic fluctuations in your weight in a short period.

What are autoimmune diseases?
An autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s immune system starts attacking the healthy tissues and cells. These conditions develop slowly, but are tricky to diagnose. They lead to diverse symptoms and depending on the condition, often lead to weight loss or weight gain. Autoimmune conditions are incurable and they can only be managed by following a healthy lifestyle and eating healthy. So, your weight will keep fluctuating, unless you take some serious steps to keep it in control. Here are 4 autoimmune conditions that may lead to weight gain.

1. Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, which is mostly detected at a younger age is another autoimmune condition that may lead to weight gain. In this condition, the pancreas is unable to produce insulin, leading to a spike in the blood sugar level. Insulin plays a major role in directing the body how to use and store glucose for energy. When insulin is not produced or used efficiently glucose is stored as fat, making the person gain weight.

2. Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a bone-related condition that mostly affects people in old age. The typical symptoms of this condition include fatigue, joint pain and joint inflammation. Along with that, people may lose some kilos when suffering from this autoimmune condition. Weight loss is an indirect effect of inflammation caused due to attack on the tissues. Inflammation leads to weakness and fatigue that may make you eat more and you gain weight.

3. Celiac disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which eating gluten (a type of protein present in whole grains) causes the immune system to attack the cells of the small intestine. It makes it hard for those dealing with this condition to absorb the food completely, as a result, they lose weight or usually remain thin. Other symptoms of this condition include bloating, chronic diarrhea, constipation, nausea and vomiting, and abdominal pain. Avoiding gluten can help maintain a healthy weight.

4. Graves’ disease
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid gland. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland present in the lower neck, responsible for producing three major hormones for maintaining normal body functioning. In Graves’s condition, the gland overproduces hormone, which disrupts the normal functioning of the body. The disruption in the level of hormones leads to weight loss. Other symptoms of this condition include fatigue, trouble sleeping and trembling.