Hope for Autoimmune Patients By Hannah Gale, N.D., LAc
is often unclear, and the treatments are unappealing. The American Autoimmune and Related Diseases Association states that over 50 million Americans live with an autoimmune disease. It is accepted that there are 80-100 distinct autoimmune diseases and the causes of most autoimmune diseases remain unknown. It is thought that genes in combination with infections and other environmental exposures are likely to play a role.
M
By defi nition, autoimmune diseases are those in which the immune system attacks organs, tissues, and cells causing injury to them. The CDC is unsure why the prevalence and incidence of autoimmune disease are on the rise. According to the American Diabetes Association, the incidence of Type 1 Diabetes rose 23% between 2001 and 2009. Type 1 Diabetes occurs when the im- mune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Celiac Disease is also on the rise with 1 in 133 people now affected. The rapid increase in autoimmune diseases suggests that environmental factors are involved, as genes do not change in such short periods of time.
Auto Immune Diseases Affect Women and Minorities More Often
Certain autoimmune diseases seem to be more prevalent in western countries. For instance, a 2017 study on worldwide inci- dence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus found that the highest incidence and prevalence of SLE is in North America. Certain autoimmune diseases tend to be age specifi c, while oth- ers like Rheumatoid Arthritis, can affect any age group, although woman are 2-3 times more likely to be affected. Women have a higher risk in general, including those of African, Hispanic and Na- tive American descent having a disproportionately higher risk.
Symptoms of Autoimmune Disease The fi rst symptoms are often fatigue, muscle aches, and a low
fever with local infl ammation, and as these are very general, it can be diffi cult for doctors to diagnose specifi c diseases. There are commonly fl are ups and remissions, so by the time a patient gets in
ore and more people are being diagnosed with autoim- mune diseases in our country every year. An autoimmune diagnosis may feel grim and confusing because the cause
to see their doctor, their symptoms seem to have resolved. Certain tests for general infl ammation and immune factors can help raise suspicion of autoimmune disease, but specifi c diagnosis can be a lengthy process.
New Research in Autoimmune Diseases
The NIH released an article in April 2018 stating that the Ep- stein-Barr virus protein can “switch on” risk genes for autoimmune diseases and may trigger some cases of lupus. The fact that Epstein- Barr is one of the viruses involved in mononucleosis and that most people are exposed in childhood raises the question of why some people are potentially affected by this virus as an autoimmune trig- ger, while others are not.
Naturopathic Medicine and Autoimmune Diseases
Naturopathic Medicine is traditionally concerned with treating the root causes of disease, and therefore has examined factors such as: the GI microbiota, food immune reactions, stealth infections and molecular mimicry/cross reactivity as possible causes in the individual patient. We have found that in some cases, reducing the intake of food allergens, improving the GI health and microbiota, and/or the treatment of stealth infections can help resolve symp- toms in some patients.
At The Center for Natural Medicine, we have 30 years of expe- rience in treating GI sensitivities and supporting the GI microbiota as part of individualized protocols for autoimmune disease relief. Lab testing can be helpful for diagnosing specifi c diseases and we use an array of tests that can help identify specifi c autoimmune dis- eases and underlying causes. Treatment is always individualized to take in to account the goals of the patient. Many of our patients do state that they have tried many things before coming to our clinic and they are so grateful that we were able to help them.
Hannah Gale, N.D., LAc practices Naturopathic Medicine and Tra- ditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture at the Center for Natural Medicine. Dr. Gale has done extensive research on the topic of Epigenetics and how the environment may affect the transcription of genes. For more information call 860.945.1004 or go to www.
centerfornaturalmedicine.net. See ad on page 9.
www.NaturalNutmeg.com 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
