Women and Autoimmune Disease: The Mysterious Ways Your Body Betrays Itself

Autoimmune diseases -- including chronic fatigue syndrome, vasculitis, juvenile diabetes, alopecia, Graves' disease, Sjögren's syndrome, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis -- are among the hottest topics in the medical community. Although these diseases express themselves in different ways, in all of them, the body's immune system begins to attack normally functioning, healthy cells. Despite the recent surge in interest and research, these fascinating diseases are highly mysterious, frequently misdiagnosed, and controversial in cause and treatment. They are often interconnected in ways that are both misunderstood and life-threatening. And one of the biggest puzzles is why 80 percent of autoimmune disease sufferers are women.

In this authoritative yet thoroughly approachable guide, world-class immunologist Dr. Robert Lahita brings to bear his years of intensive research, patient care, and diagnostic acumen to shed light on the mysteries of these conditions, with a particular focus on how they affect -- and how he treats -- women.

One of the world's foremost authorities on the subject, Dr. Lahita strikes a refreshing balance between medical explanation and readability. Through the use of case studies, he describes the early warning signs (including minor triggers such as headaches, nausea, or exhaustion), symptoms, diagnostic processes, and the latest and most innovative treatments for the familiar -- as well as many of the lesser known -- autoimmune diseases. This scientifically sound, grounded, thorough, and sensitive work will be greeted with appreciation by anyone who wants to better understand these perplexing and often debilitating diseases.