Q: I was recently told I might have an autoimmune disorder. What is this and what can I do for it?
The body’s immune system is responsible for fighting off infections and a variety of diseases. An autoimmune disorder or disease is when the immune system mistakenly starts to attack healthy cells rather than fight off the toxins and bad substances. In autoimmune disorders, the cells in the immune system can’t tell the difference between healthy tissue and invaders, so it attacks everything.
Autoimmune disorders are chronic, which means that they develop over time and there may be days, weeks, or months when symptoms seem to get better (remission), but that doesn’t mean it’s cured.
There are almost 100 different autoimmune disorders that have similar symptoms, which is why getting a confirmatory diagnosis can be time-consuming and very difficult. The symptoms of autoimmune diseases wax and wane, so many patients will go years without getting a diagnosis. Some of the more common autoimmune disorders are celiac disease, Addison’s disease, Grave’s disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, reactive arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Each of these syndromes or diseases have their own specific symptomatology, but all are very similar in nature.
Signs and Symptoms of Autoimmune Disorders
Early signs of autoimmune disease include, but are not limited to:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Chills
- Skin rashes.
Very often, symptoms are mistaken for the flu, a cold, or a “twenty-four hour bug.” On and off symptom behavior makes diagnosis incredibly difficult. Patients who experience the above symptoms on a frequent basis should talk with their healthcare provider for further workup. Autoimmune diseases are not well understood in general medicine, so if your physician or caregiver dismisses your concerns, you should seek a second opinion with a specialist, often a rheumatologist or somebody that practices functional medicine.
Causes of Autoimmune Disorders
Unfortunately, it is still unknown what exactly causes the immune system to attack itself. One theory is, of course, genetic makeup and inheritance. There is consideration that there are some microorganisms and/or dietary factors that can trigger this autoimmune reaction in those patients who have a predisposition to autoimmune disease. While the cause is often unknown, the effect is certainly clear. Autoimmune disorders cause:
- Abnormal organ growth
- Changes in organ function
- Destruction of body tissues like connective tissues, blood vessels, muscles, joints, red blood cells, skin, and endocrine glands.
Testing and Treatment
As mentioned previously, testing can be time-consuming and difficult. Some studies that may help diagnose autoimmune disease include:
- Antinuclear antibody test
- Autoantibody test
- CBC, CRP, and ESR
Treatment will depend on the disease and symptoms at the time of diagnosis. The first step is to get the diagnosis. Once that is clarified, it will be a bit easier to develop an effective treatment plan which should address not just medications but include dietary and lifestyle modifications.
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