Autoimmune diseases are your immune systems attempt to destroy and eliminate a foreign invader except there isn’t a foreign invader, there are only the tissues of your body. The immune system is programmed to look for certain identification markers that a foreign invader can have. A foreign invader can be a microbe, a toxin or a food. Through a complex series of events the immune system is fooled into thinking that one of your tissues has that identification marker. It then mounts an antibody attack on that tissue and slowly causes it to be destroyed. There are over 80 autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune conditions generally respond favorably to a functional medicine approach that emphasizes the root cause of why the immune system is fooled and lifestyle changes that quiet down the immune system.
Understanding the potential causes of autoimmune diseases can help you prevent it in the future. For those already experiencing autoimmune conditions, it can be helpful to understand the causes in order to identify what may have caused your condition.
Autoimmune diseases are often the result of one of a variety of factors:
Certain viruses like COVID-19 and Epstein-Barr virus can be triggers for autoimmune conditions.
Many autoimmune diseases are genetic and pass through generations.
Having an autoimmune disease can predispose you to developing an additional disease.
Exposure to chemicals, pollution, and other environmental factors can lead to the development of an autoimmune disease.
is a huge factor in the development of Autoimmune conditions
WHAT FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE THERAPIES ARE AVAILABLE TO PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES?
Functional medicine approaches to people with autoimmune conditions are lifestyle and nutritional supplement oriented. The Energy Remedy offers different types of Therapies, each serving a different purpose. Some of the solutions you may be recommended include:
Personalized movement therapy can improve your physical health, mental health, reduce your risk of cardivascular exercise and some level of weight training can help balance your mental health.
Stress is a common cause of illnesses in the body. Learning techniques for stress management can help restore your health.
Nutritional deficiencies and food intolerances can cause a variety of problems. Improving your diet and eliminating certain foods can alleviate those conditions. This is a classic functional medicine idea.
Improper sleep can cause problems in the body and mind that impact your health. Without restful and regenerative sleep it’s very difficult to heal from any health condition.
In order to get an autoimmune disease diagnosed, it requires a combination of physical exams, medical history assessments, symptoms surveys, and lab tests.
While there is currently no known cause of autoimmune diseases, it’s currently believed that the cause is a combination of genetics, environmental factors, and preexisting issues with the immune system. Since the seat of the immune system is located in the gut, the functional medicine way to approach autoimmunity is to assess gut function.
The exact trigger of an autoimmune disease isn’t always clear. Typically, genetic predisposition, a leaky gut, under the radar microbial overgrowths, and environmental factors are common triggers.
Autoimmune diseases cannot be cured. They can, however, be managed and kept under control. Lifestyle changes, supplements and medications are common ways to keep symptoms under control and prevent further damage to the body.
