Auto-Immune Disorders

One of the most common disorders that Americans have is an autoimmune disease. This happens when the body's immune system attacks the healthy tissues of the body. A staggering 50 million Americans are believed to be impacted 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 who have an autoimmune disorder are not even aware they have it.

Common symptoms 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 diseases with the possibility of another 40 or so having an autoimmune component!

Autoimmune disorders you might be familiar with include Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, Lupus, Sjogren's Syndrome, Scleroderma, and Psoriasis.

There are different medical theories as to why autoimmune diseases occur. Approximately 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 might consist of chronic infections (e.g., viral infections, gum disease, Lyme Disease, and others), the imbalanced microbiome in the digestive tract (where 70% of the immune cell activity occurs), unhealthy intestinal lining referred to 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 individuals prevent and treat autoimmune diseases by addressing underlying causative factors and utilizing holistic protocols to reduce inflammation and improve immune system regulation. Sometimes, we also utilize 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 therapies for a better quality of life.

For further information about Dr. Stengler’s practice and his clinic in La Jolla, California, please visit our website at MarkStengler.com or give us a call at (760) 274-2377