AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
Have you had a series of generalised, systemic or vague symptoms troubling you? Things like fatigue, brain fog, rashes, digestive issues or aches and pains ?
Can't put your finger on why? You’re not feeling well in your own body and no one is giving you answers?
It’s time to consider your autoimmunity.
Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immunity, rather than protecting us from infection, mistake healthy cells and begin to attack them. This may lead to chronic inflammation and tissue damage. There are over 80 different types of autoimmune diseases, some of the most well known being Hashimoto's, Grave’s, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and coeliac disease.
Autoimmune conditions respond very well to naturopathic treatment. Naturopathic intervention for autoimmune conditions address the catalysts for immunity breakdown, some of these triggers include:
Stress: Many clients will mention symptoms developing six or so months after a traumatic event (loss of work, loss of a significant other, moving house, divorce). Stress impacts all physiological functions, like digestion and absorption of key nutrients to modulate the immune system.
Digestion: Digestion is key in the absorption of key nutrients which can help modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation. There are multiple strains of microbes that can also colonise in the digestive tract. These can activate the immune system to attack itself via the secretion of inflammatory markers and toxins.
Diet: You’ve heard it before: We are what we eat - the food we put in our mouths can directly drive or lower inflammation in the body. A food intolerance is when the body makes an immune response to the food we’re eating. These can aggravate the immune system, driving autoimmunity.
Toxins: Our immediate environment exposes us to a plethora of daily toxins - food, drink, household products, environmental chemicals, cosmetics etc. - the list goes on! These toxins can drive inflammation and confuse the immune system by disrupting the way our bodies work. For people with a high toxic load and/or potential genetic variations (which slow down their detox pathways), these toxins can build up very easily and drive autoimmunity. Implementing a full detox protocol is an important part of working towards remission.