functionalhealth
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
When Your Immune System
Turns On You, the Result is an Autoimmune Disease
by Dr. Michael Boss, DC A
mericans with diagnosed autoimmune conditions number more than
50 million. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) indicates that 1 in 4 Americans has some type of autoimmune issue. The vast majority of these are women (75 percent). My wife is part of this statistic; she has
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, the most
common form
of hypothyroid disease in the U.S. and also an autoimmune disease. With this disease, the immune system destroys the thyroid gland and the hormone it makes. In women under age 65, autoimmune disease is considered one of the leading causes of death. The diseases are real and they can wreak havoc on your health and life. There are
various types of autoimmune diseases including
rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, Sjogren’s syndrome, gastrointestinal issues and many more. These conditions also cause many different types of symptoms all over the body that range from mild to severe. It can also be very confusing and frustrating, sending life into a downward spiral. To make matters worse, autoimmune conditions are often misdiagnosed.
Understanding
Autoimmune Disease Autoimmune diseases can affect the entire body or certain parts of the body. They are all similar in nature. They are basically hyper-immune responses brought about by chronic stimulation of the immune system, leading to systemic inflammation. Along the way, the signals get crossed and your immune system begins to attack your own body. The human immune system is
very adept at protecting us. It seeks out and destroys invaders strategically and precisely. It heals us from wounds, infections and various other problems. When the immune system identifies something as potentially harmful, it will create a response that results in inflammation, destruction, healing and the production of antibodies so that the invader is remembered for the future. Autoimmune diseases occur when your immune system must repeatedly respond to invaders such as allergens, toxins, infections, poor health and foods (read my leaky gut article in the April 2014 issue). Over time the
30 Natural Awakenings San Antonio
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