One of the most common disorders that Americans have is an autoimmune disorder. This occurs when the body's immune system attacks the healthy tissues of the body. A staggering 50 million Americans are thought to be impacted by an autoimmune condition! Also, autoimmunity is among the top 10 leading causes of death in female children as well as women up to 64 years old. Many of those who have an autoimmune disorder are not even aware they have it.
Common signs of this inflammatory reaction consist of redness, swelling, as well as pain. Symptoms such as fatigue and fever are also common symptoms. Autoimmune diseases can affect every part of the body, including the brain, nerves, heart, blood vessels, muscles, skin, eyes, joints, lungs, kidneys, liver, glands, and digestive tract. No wonder researchers have identified between 80-100 autoimmune disorders with the possibility of another 40 or so having an autoimmune component!
Autoimmune disorders you may be familiar with include Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, Lupus, Sjogren's Syndrome, Scleroderma, and Psoriasis.
There are different medical theories regarding why autoimmune disorders happen. About 20% of the population has a genetic predisposition to autoimmunity. However, there are likely several "triggers" that integrative doctors such as ourselves address. Triggers or causative agents may include chronic infections (e.g., viral infections, gum disease, Lyme Disease, and others), imbalanced microbiome in the digestive tract (where 70% of the immune cell activity occurs), unhealthy intestinal lining known as increased permeability (where protein particles and bacteria can be improperly absorbed into the bloodstream triggering an immune reaction), food allergies or sensitivities (especially gluten), environmental toxins (toxic metals, pesticides, etc), and hormone imbalances.
We help individuals prevent and treat autoimmune diseases by focusing on underlying causative factors and using holistic methods to lower inflammation and improve immune system regulation. Sometimes, we also use Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) to help with immune modulation.
For patients on conventional drug therapies for autoimmunity, we work to address underlying causative factors and offer complementary treatments for a greater quality of life.
