What Is Autoimmune Disease?
Autoimmune disease is a condition in which the body’s immune system gets confused and attacks and damages its own tissues mistakenly. Instead of fighting off harmful viruses and bacteria, the immune system attacks the body’s healthy tissues, causing various symptoms.
There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, and they can affect different parts of the body.
The body, the mind and the spirit must be aligned in order to put in order the autoimmune disorder.
Written by
- Redaction Team
- July 25, 2023
- Body, Personal Development
Table of Contents
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What Does It Mean to Have an Autoimmune Disease Symptoms?
Understanding Autoimmune Disorders
Autoimmune disorders occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues in the body. Normally, the immune system produces antibodies that target and destroy foreign substances, such as viruses and bacteria. However, in people with autoimmune disorders, the immune system produces autoantibodies that mistakenly attack the body’s own tissues. This can result in inflammation, pain, and damage to different organs and tissues in the body.
Autoimmune disorders might be generated as a confusion of the body with foreign entities.
Common Symptoms of Autoimmune Disease
The symptoms of autoimmune disease can vary depending on the type of autoimmune disorder and the affected organs or tissues. However, some common symptoms include fatigue, fever, joint pain and swelling, muscle weakness, skin rashes, and gastrointestinal problems. In some cases, people with autoimmune diseases may not experience any symptoms for long periods, making it difficult to diagnose the condition.
Autoimmune Disorders That Affect the Thyroid Gland
Autoimmune disorders can affect different parts of the body, including the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck that produces hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism. Some common autoimmune disorders that affect the thyroid gland include Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease. These conditions can result in either an underactive or overactive thyroid gland, causing various symptoms such as fatigue, weight changes, and mood swings.
The symptoms of Hashimoto Thyroiditis could be perfectly controlled and set the symptoms on remission if the person focuses on his or her healing journey, and be stable back again.
What Are the Types of Autoimmune Disorders?
Lupus
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that can affect different parts of the body, including the skin, joints, and organs. It occurs when the immune system produces antibodies that attack and damage the body’s tissues, causing inflammation and pain. The symptoms of lupus can vary from mild to severe and can include skin rashes, joint pain, fatigue, and fever.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of autoimmune disorder that mainly affects the joints, causing inflammation, pain, and stiffness. In this condition, the immune system attacks the joints’ lining, including the synovium, causing damage and deformities over time. The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can include joint pain and swelling, fatigue, and muscle weakness.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system, causing damage to the myelin sheath that covers the nerves. This can result in various symptoms, such as muscle weakness, tremors, and problems with balance and coordination. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis can vary depending on the affected nerves and can range from mild to severe.
What Are the Risk Factors for Developing an Autoimmune Disease?
- Inflammatory foods: Autoimmune diseases could be generated by an inflammatory or autoimmune response of the body to certain foods. In the case of Hashimoto, the majority of patients see an autoimmune reaction to Gluten and its protein Gliadin, which is similar to the Thyroid tissue, and is it enters the bloodstream, it is being told that the body attacks both at the same time, the gliadin protein and thyroid tissue. As in for other autoimmune diseases, there might be reactions to other types of foods such as Rice, Sugar, Milk, Diary, certain Vegetables or Fruits, and Processed Foods. It is recommended to talk with a functional medicine doctor and to a food sensitivity test to find out which foods your body reacts to.
- Environmental Factors: Environmental factors such as infections, mold, toxins, and stress can trigger autoimmune disorders in people with a genetic predisposition to the condition. For instance, exposure to certain viruses or bacteria can stimulate the immune system's response, leading to chronic inflammation and tissue damage.
- Emotional trauma: Autoimmune disorders can affect people who are in a constant state of fight or flight response. Being in constant levels of cortisol will generate that the body is constantly on inflammation, being at some point unable to cope with the reactions that are ocassioned from emotions and even from physical activity.
How Is a Common Autoimmune Disease Diagnosed and Treated?
Diagnosing Autoimmune Disorders
Diagnosing autoimmune disorders can be challenging because the symptoms of different autoimmune diseases can overlap, making it difficult to identify a specific condition. Healthcare providers may use various tests, such as blood tests or imaging tests, to detect autoantibodies or evaluate the affected organs and tissues.
When testing for a thyroid issue for a Hashimoto treatment, the lab tests that should also be made are the TPO and TGAB to find ouf if there are some thyrioid antibodies that confirm an autoimmune reaction.
The Role of Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy
For autoimmune disorders that affect the thyroid gland, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or hypothyroidism, healthcare providers may prescribe thyroid hormone replacement therapy to restore normal thyroid function.
This can help relieve symptoms of Hashimoto in Men and Women such as fatigue and weight gain and prevent complications such as heart disease and osteoporosis.
The conventional Treatment Options for Autoimmune Disease that might or might not be effective in the long term
The treatment for autoimmune diseases varies depending on the type and severity of the condition. Some conventional treatment options include anti-inflammatory medications, such as corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immunosuppressants, and biologic therapies, which can target specific immune system components.
But what in reality will work better is to follow a fully holistic treatment measure that aims to find the root causes of the autoimmune disorder and aim to heal every area of a human being, such as the body, the mind, and the spirit.
Proposal of what must be a full holistic treatment for autoimmune diseases
The question is, if it is supposed that medicine and science is advancing, why are we not observing a decline on the number of cases of autoimmune disorder?
The following should be what is an ideal treatment of an autoimmune disease
To Heal the Body:
- Do blood lab tests on different aspects to search for nutritional defficiencies (Vitamin D, Vitamin B, Zinc, Calcium levels etc) or surplus of sugar, LDL, HDL cholesterol etc.
- Address nutritional defficiencies
- Seek out with a food sensitivity test for food allergies such as Gluten, Diary, Eggs, Corn, Sugar.
- Include whole and healing foods (Kiwi, Ginger, Cilantro, Spirulina, Curcumin, Mango, Cucumber, Walnuts, Peacans, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds, Kefir, Greek Yogurt, Papaya, Banana, Coconut)
- Eliminate or reduce proccessed foods.
- Juicing therapy. (Green Juice, Beet, Carrot, Apple Juice, or find a mix of , Natural fruit or vegetable juices)
- Add supplements according to your needs.
- Check thyroid labs (T3, T4, TSH, T3 inverse), autoimmune anitbodies labs (TPO, TGAB) and hormone labs (Pregnenolone)
- If a doctor is going to give you any sort of medication, start from lower dose and adjust accordingly. (Medication is generally just a "Band-Aid" to a support a body issue, but it is not what it will fully help to heal the body)
- Grounding and time in nature.
- Exercise
- Sunlight, at least 15 minutes and avoid exposing too much during high temperature times.
- Sleep
To Heal the Mind:
- Stress relief activities: Reading, going for a walk, listening music, dancing
- Nature / animal work
- Talking therapy
- Journaling
- Spotting and understanding own subconscious patterns
- Shadow work and integrating the suppressed emotions to be channeled into new form of energy such as creative arts or creative work
- Dedicating time to heal childhood emotional traumas
- Understand sickness as an invitation to change, evolve, grow and heal, similar to the point of view of the German New Medicine.*
To Heal the Spirit:
- Practicing gratitude
- Acknowledging that a higher power, God/The Universe/The Greater Consciousness/ The Source, is already guiding us towards healing
- Practice own spiritual prayer. (In my opinion, regardless of religion, they can lead towards connecting with God
- Spiritual prayers for healing ancestral trauma
- Developing an attitude of not self identifying with the mind, and knowing how to merge and balance the spirit, the mind and the body
- Understanding that everything is connected.
- Angels follow you in your healing path and guide you in the form of synchronicities.
- Find out about chakra blockages and work towards it.
FAQs about Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune disease is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own cells and tissues, considering them as foreign invaders. This can result in various health problems and often requires medical attention.
If you have persisting symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, frequent infections, or unexplained rashes, it is advisable to consult a doctor. They can evaluate your condition, conduct necessary tests, and provide an accurate diagnosis.
Some common autoimmune diseases include psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, myasthenia gravis, ulcerative colitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, Crohn’s disease, and many others. These conditions can affect different organs and systems in the body.
Yes, some autoimmune diseases tend to run in families, suggesting a genetic predisposition. However, it’s not necessary for every family member to develop the condition, as other factors like environmental triggers also play a role.
The exact cause of autoimmune diseases is still unknown. Researchers believe that a combination of genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors contribute to the development of these conditions.
In autoimmune diseases, the immune system fails to recognize the body’s own cells and tissues as “self.” Instead, it produces autoimmune antibodies and mounts an immune response against these cells, leading to inflammation and damage in various parts of the body.
Symptoms of autoimmune diseases can vary widely depending on the specific condition, but they often include fatigue, joint pain, muscle weakness, skin problems, digestive issues, and recurring infections. It’s important to consult a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis.
Currently, there is no cure for autoimmune diseases. However, with proper medical treatment and management, the symptoms can be controlled and the progression of the disease can be slowed down, allowing individuals to lead a better quality of life.
Some individuals may have a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases due to factors such as a family history of autoimmune disorders, certain infections, exposure to certain environmental triggers, and being a woman. However, anyone can develop an autoimmune disease.
While some symptoms may overlap, autoimmune diseases and COVID-19 are different conditions. If you are experiencing symptoms, it is important to consult a healthcare professional to determine the cause and receive appropriate medical advice.
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