What causes autoimmune diseases?

What causes autoimmune diseases?

The precise cause of autoimmune diseases is unknown. However, there are risk factors that may increase your chances of getting an autoimmune disease. Risk factors include:

• Some medications. Talk to your healthcare provider about the side effects of medications for blood pressure, statins and antibiotics.
• Having relatives with autoimmune diseases. Some diseases are genetic — they run in families.
• Smoking.
• Already having one autoimmune disease. You’re at a higher risk of developing another.
• Exposure to toxins.
• Being female — 78% of people who have an autoimmune disease are women.
• Obesity.
• Infections.