NaturalHealthSolutions.org
Autoimmune Diseases - Natural Health Solutions
What are Autoimmune Diseases?
Autoimmune diseases arise when the immune system acts abnormally and attacks the body rather than protect it as designed. Millions of people in the United States experience the medical issues connected to autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to experience the medical conditions in this category. Treatment depends on the problem and its severity. Experts estimate between 80-100 autoimmune diseases exist. The following are examples of some of the health conditions in that category.
People whose immune system attacks their adrenal glands develop Addison's disease. The body relies on the adrenal glands to produce hormones that allow the system to store and use glucose and carbohydrates effectively.
The symptoms of Addison's disease rarely begin all at once and are often mild when they start. As a result, people often do not notice the symptoms or ignore them until they are too unwell to manage the discomfort alone.
Autoimmune Vasculitis
Autoimmune Vasculitis occurs when the immune system causes inflammation of the blood vessels. The condition makes it difficult for blood to flow correctly through the veins and arteries. As a result, damage to the organs occurs due to a lack of adequate blood supply.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that prevents sufferers from consuming gluten-containing foods. The disease causes the small intestine to become inflamed whenever exposed to gluten resulting in intense pain and digestive difficulties.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome GBS
Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a very rare disorder when the immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. These essential nerves are located outside of the spinal cord and the brain. Symptoms can be mild as in feelings of brief weakness to severe when the body cannot breathe on its own.
The cause of Guillain-Barre Syndrome are unknown. It is not hereditary or contagious. With treatment, most people recover with ongoing mild symptoms.
Graves' Disease
The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, can overproduce its hormone when attacked by the immune system. The result is Graves' Disease, a condition that can cause heat intolerance, anxiety, weight loss, and more.
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Like Grave's Disease, Hashimoto's attacks the thyroid. However, in this instance, the immune system causes thyroid hormone production to slow. The deficiency of thyroid hormones in the body can cause people to gain weight, experience fatigue, and have noticeable hair loss. Goiters, swelling of the thyroid gland, can also occur.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes inflammation and pain in the gastrointestinal tract. More than one type of IBD exists, like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, depending on the area of the GI tract affected.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) does not meet the exact criteria for an autoimmune disease, but it does occur because of an incorrectly functioning immune system.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has proven difficult for science to understand and categorize. Some in the medical community consider it an autoimmune disease, and others call it immune-mediated because it does not always fit the guidelines of an autoimmune condition.
MS is when the immune system attacks the myelin sheath protecting the nerve cells. As the condition progresses, the nervous system experiences a decrease in its ability to function. The individual can experience a broad range of symptoms.
Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia gravis is a breakdown in communication between the brain and the muscles. The muscles affected are those moved voluntarily like the arms or the legs, those that cause eye and facial movements, and the muscles needed for swallowing. The condition begins as a weakness that can worsen as the body rests. Myasthenia gravis may have a genetic link, relate to a problem with the thymus gland, or have another cause.
Pernicious Anemia
An autoimmune condition that attacks the stomach lining causes pernicious anemia. As a result, the body cannot absorb Vitamin B-12 from food as needed, and anemia develops. The condition can cause a wide range of symptoms throughout the body.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that affects the skin but can cause additional concerns. Psoriasis is a buildup of skin cells due to the skin growing faster than it sheds. As the cells thicken, the affected areas become inflamed, painful, and itchy. The inflammation from psoriasis is not always external, and people with it can also experience psoriatic arthritis – a condition that affects their joints like other forms of arthritis.
Arthritis is a condition that causes joint pain and damage. Distinct types of arthritis exist based on the causes of the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) differs from the others because it is a condition that can occur in younger patients. People with RA often develop symptoms before age 30.
Sjogren's Syndrome
The cause of chronically dry eyes and mouth could be an autoimmune disease. The condition can also include symptoms of the skin or joints or cause unexplained fatigue. Despite not sounding as severe as other autoimmune conditions, Sjogren's Syndrome can severely affect the lungs.
People often notice the skin rash caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) first. They may mistakenly believe they have a dermatological condition only. Unfortunately, SLE can affect the joints, heart, brain, and more. Other forms of lupus exist, but SLE is the most common. The exact cause of the condition is unknown, but treatment helps slow damage and enables people to have a more comfortable life.
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune condition that affects the pancreas. The immune system attacks the pancreatic beta cells that help the organ produce insulin. The disease can begin due to a virus or from genetics.
Treatment and monitoring help patients keep the condition under control and reduce the risk of damage occurring to other parts of the body.
See Your Local Holistic Practitioner. These can include muscle testers like Applied Kinesiologists and Nutrition Response Testers, many of whom are Chiropractors. You can also consider Functional and Integrative Medical Practitioners, many of whom are holistic doctors. Depending on your symptoms, trained Dietitians and Nutritionists can also be an option.
Adding
whole food supplements to your treatment plan adjusts the imbalances in your body. Being under a professional's care will help eliminate trial and error, and wasted money spent on remedies that may not be appropriate for your exact illness. Most holistic practitioners offer a free consultation, so seeing two or three is an option. It would be wise to start here.
Autoimmune diseases can become very problematic for people because the extensive initial symptoms could have many causes and can seem flu-like or mimic allergies. People should seek medical help for chronic symptoms that do not go away or go away and repeatedly return despite home treatment. Early indications of any autoimmune condition could include aches and pains, fatigue, or skin rashes. Other warning signs are a consistent low-grade fever, brain fog, and hair loss.
Additional Resources
- Types of Autoimmune Diseases - Healthline
- Autoimmune Disease - Wikipedia
- Diabetes Overview - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- What is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Lupus Foundation of America
Additional Information - Contact
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved. Art Licensed by Shutterstock©