Autoimmune Disease Increases After The COVID-19 Pandemic, Doctor Says

Internal medicine specialist consultant clinic immunology allergy Siloam Lippo Village Tangerang Dr Steven Sumantri. (Doc. ANTARA)

TANGERANG - Perhaps many do not know this data, an internal medicine specialist, a clinical immunological allergy consultant at Siloam Lippo Village Tangerang Hospital, Steven Sumantri said autoimmune diseases experienced an increase after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The number of cases of autoimmune diseases around the world, including in Indonesia, has increased dramatically, especially after the pandemic and is often not realized so that it is slow to detect," said Steven Sumantri in Tangerang, Banten, quoted from ANTARA, Thursday, May 9,

Not only that, the current case of autoimmune is a pandemic. However, because many people are unknown, they fall into the pandemic silent category

He explained that autoimmune can attack anyone regardless of age or gender, although more often found in women of productive age.

Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, syndrome, restlessness, psoriasis, miastenia gravis, thyroiditis hashimoto, and multiple sclerosis, are groups of complex diseases where immune systems that should protect the body from infection and disease instead attack healthy cells because they misidentify them as threats.

The causes of people being exposed to autoimmune vary, namely some due to genetic factors and the environment to the current lifestyle of the community.

Then there are also environmental factors, such as people who live in industrial areas because they are caused by air pollution, water, or others.

Seperti dari daerah Cilegon maupun kawasan industri di Serang yang saya tangani kondisinya perlu penanganan lebih. Beberapa gejahatan umum autoimun yang perlu diwaspadai seperti lembilan, kelemahan kronik, sakit otot, kembilan, bentol seluruh tubuh, gelumbang area tertentu, rambut rontok dan kulit merah," katanya.

For prevention, he suggested implementing a healthy lifestyle such as regular exercise, getting enough rest, eating nutritious food, eating lots of fruit and vegetables.

"It's a good idea to immediately consult a doctor if conditions recur and stay within more than 6 weeks," he said.

He added that the treatment of autoimmune varies from the type and level of the impact of the disease. "This can include anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, immunosuppression and biological therapy," he concluded.