One of the most common conditions that Americans have is an autoimmune disease. This occurs when the body's immune system attacks the healthy tissues of the body. A staggering 50 million Americans are believed to be affected by an autoimmune condition! Also, autoimmunity is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in female children and also women up to 64 years of age. Many of those that have an autoimmune disease are not even aware they have it.
Common signs of this inflammatory response include redness, swelling, and also 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 diseases 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 diseases happen. About 20% of the population has a genetic predisposition to autoimmunity. However, there are probably a number of "triggers" that integrative doctors such as ourselves address. Triggers or causative agents may consist of 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 takes place), 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 (particularly gluten), environmental toxins (toxic metals, pesticides, etc), and hormone imbalances.
We help people 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 utilize Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) to help with immune modulation.
For patients on conventional drug treatments for autoimmunity, we work to address underlying causative factors and offer complementary treatments for a better quality of life.
For further information about Dr. Stengler’s practice and his clinic in Encinitas, California, please visit our website at MarkStengler.com or give us a call at (760) 274-2377.
