What autoimmune diseases cause fever
What autoimmune diseases cause fever Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues, leading to inflammation and tissue damage. While many autoimmune conditions primarily cause localized symptoms, some can present with systemic features such as fever. A fever is often a sign that the body is fighting an ongoing inflammatory or infectious process, and in autoimmune diseases, it can reflect disease activity or flares.
Several autoimmune diseases are known to cause fever as a common symptom. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of the most prominent examples. SLE is a chronic autoimmune condition that affects multiple organ systems, including the skin, joints, kidneys, and the nervous system. Patients with active SLE frequently experience low to high-grade fevers, especially during disease flares, which indicate heightened immune activity. The fever in SLE is often accompanied by other symptoms like joint pain, fatigue, and skin rashes.
Another autoimmune disease associated with fever is rheumatoid arthritis (RA), particularly during flare-ups. RA primarily affects the joints, causing swelling, pain, and stiffness. However, systemic symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and malaise can also occur, especially when the disease becomes more active. Fever in RA is usually mild but can be significant in severe flares or when complications such as infections or vasculitis develop.
Vasculitis, a group of disorders characterized by inflammation of blood vessels, can also lead to fever. Conditions such as giant cell arteritis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis often present with systemic symptoms, including fever. These diseases involve blood vessel inflammation that can impair blood flow to various organs, causing symptoms like headaches, jaw claudication, or respiratory issues alongside fever.
Other autoimmune conditions that can cause fever include Still’s disease, particularly systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children and adult-onset Still’s disease in adults. These are characterized by high spiking fevers, often accompanied by rash, joint pain, and lymphadenopathy.
The hallmark of Still’s disease is the quotidian fever pattern, where temperatures rise sharply and then fall, only to spike again.
Autoimmune thyroid diseases, such as Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rarely cause fever directly. However, in some cases, autoimmune thyroiditis can be associated with subacute thyroiditis, which may cause fever along with neck pain and thyroid tenderness. Similarly, autoimmune diseases involving the kidneys or lungs can cause systemic symptoms, including fever, especially during active inflammation or secondary infections.
It’s important to note that fever in autoimmune diseases often indicates disease activity or an associated complication such as infection. Therefore, healthcare providers typically investigate the cause of fever thoroughly to distinguish between a flare of the autoimmune disease and an infectious process, which may require different management strategies.
In summary, several autoimmune diseases, notably systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and Still’s disease, frequently cause fever during periods of heightened disease activity. Recognizing this symptom in the context of other clinical features can help clinicians diagnose and monitor these complex conditions effectively.
