Acute – short, sharp illness that may be severe, but most people recover within a few weeks without lasting effects.
Antibodies – special proteins made by the body’s defence (immune) system to fight and neutralise a foreign substance.
Autoimmune disease – a type of disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks another part of the body.
Chronic – an illness that lasts a long time (more than six months), possibly for the rest of a person’s life.
Immunoglobulin – specific protein substance (antibody) that is produced by plasma cells to help fight infection.
Immunosuppression – a therapy that suppresses the ability of your immune system to fight an infection or disease when it enters the body.
Inflammation – the first response of your immune system to infection or injury, usually noticeable by pain, swelling or tenderness.
Steroid – natural or synthetic compounds sharing the same four-ring molecular structure. The steroids we refer to in this leaflet are corticosteroids – drugs used to reduce pain, swelling and other symptoms of inflammation.
Thyroid – a butterfly-shaped endocrine (hormone-secreting) gland in your neck that is found on both sides of the trachea (windpipe).