Autoimmune Disease

Have you been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and don’t know what to do about it?  Perhaps you’re worried about drug treatments with scary side effects.  Or maybe you have a “mystery illness” and suspect it might be autoimmune (that often turns out to be the case).

We need our immune system – it’s designed to protect us from foreign invaders. Autoimmune conditions arise when the immune system gets confused and mistakes self for non-self (ie a foreign invader!) 

There are many known autoimmune conditions.  Some of the most common ones include: 

  • Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Celiac Disease
  • Psoriasis
  • Lupus
  • Vitiligo
  • Alopecia

While each of these conditions may manifest with disease in different organ systems – the nervous system, the thyroid gland, the gut, the skin, the joints – the problem does not lie in these separate organs.  The problem lies with the immune system.   If you have one autoimmune condition, you are at high risk to develop a second one.

Yet, what causes the immune system, which is designed to protect us, to go awry and attack us?  The immune system has gotten confused and perceives parts of self to be foreign invaders because of molecular mimicry.  That means parts of our cells can appear like cells of pathogens and the immune system, designed to protect us, mounts a response.

Autoimmune conditions can take years to get diagnosed – on average, a decade.  People may have vague and troublesome symptoms for years and may be told that “nothing is wrong”, making them feel that this is all in their head and they’re going crazy.  Autoimmune conditions turn out being the number one cause of “mystery” illnesses.  And, autoimmune conditions are on the rise!

So, is it a matter of just bad luck that your immune system turns on you?  It’s true that you have to have a genetic predisposition, but that in and of itself is not enough.  There has to be the environmental trigger that’s behind the “molecular mimicry”.  In addition to this, because the bulk of the immune system is found lining the gut wall, the gut plays a key role.  In fact, autoimmune disorders have the following triad in common – genetic predisposition, environmental trigger and impaired gut health and abnormal intestinal permeability (leaky gut).

The environmental triggers that I commonly find in auto-immune conditions are: 

  • Stress
  • Hormonal imbalances such as estrogen dominance – autoimmune conditions occur more often in women and most commonly, in middle age
  • Infections, often hidden gut infections
  • Chemical toxins
  • Allergenic foods – gluten in Celiac Disease is the most well known but there are many other allergenic foods and many other conditions in which gluten is a trigger
  • Nutritional deficiencies – in Hashimoto’s, for example, common deficiencies are vitamin D, iron, and selenium

The most recent research is showing that autoimmune conditions are reversible.  Finding out what is the cause behind the individual’s condition is the first step.

I will help you find the root causes of your autoimmune disease and then map out an effective personalized treatment plan using the most advanced natural methods.  Utilizing changes to your diet, stress levels, and incorporating natural medicines and lifestyle adjustments, I’ll do everything I can to help you be healthy again.

If you have been experiencing symptoms that may be connected with autoimmune diseases and are looking for answers, schedule an appointment today!