Functional medicine is a different way of thinking about disease that helps us understand and treat the real causes of inflammation instead of finding clever ways to shut it down. Medicine as it is practiced today is like taking the battery out of a smoke detector while a fire burns down your house! Autoimmune conditions are connected by one central biochemical process: A runaway immune response also known as systemic inflammation that results in your body attacking its own tissues.
My patient on that panel, a hard-working year old father of three, was once so inflamed he could barely function. By treating the underlying causes of his inflammation he is now in vibrant good health, enjoying his life with his kids and fully capable of caring for them. Stories like these and the many others I have shared in my blogs, books, and on television are not anecdotes but a giant compass pointing us in the direction we should be looking to find answers to our health problems.
We are facing an epidemic of allergic 60 million people , asthmatic 30 million people , and autoimmune disorders 24 million people.
Autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, celiac disease, thyroid disease, and the many other hard-to-classify syndromes in the 21st century. These are all autoimmune conditions, and at their root they are connected by one central biochemical process: A runaway immune response also known as systemic inflammation that results in your body attacking its own tissues.
Your immune system is your defense against invaders. It is your internal army and has to clearly distinguish friend from foe—to know you from others.
Autoimmunity occurs when your immune system gets confused and your own tissues get caught in friendly cross-fire. Your body is fighting something — an infection, a toxin, an allergen, a food or the stress response — and somehow it redirects its hostile attack on your joints, your brain, your thyroid, your gut, your skin, or sometimes your whole body.
This immune confusion results from what is referred to as molecular mimicry. Functional medicine provides a map to find out which molecule the cells are mimicking. Interestingly, autoimmune disorders occur almost exclusively in developed countries. If you grew up on a farm with lots of animals, you are also less likely to have any of these inflammatory disorders.
In this country, autoimmune diseases, when taken all together, are a huge health burden. Unfortunately, many of the conventional treatments available can make you feel worse. Anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil, steroids, immune suppressants like methotrexate, and the new TNF-alpha blockers like Enbrel or Remicade can lead to intestinal bleeding, kidney failure, depression, psychosis, osteoporosis, muscle loss, and diabetes, not to mention overwhelming infection and cancer.
When used selectively these drugs can help people get their lives back. But they are not a long-term solution. There is another way to deal with autoimmune conditions. Let me share the same story I told the doctors on that panel. Deficiency of aldosterone will lead to sodium loss and excess potassium in the bloodstream.
One potential symptom of this disease is bulging eyes, called exophthalmos. This condition attacks the glands that provide lubrication to the eyes and mouth. Symptoms include weight gain, sensitivity to cold, fatigue, hair loss, and swelling of the thyroid goiter. Myasthenia gravis affects nerve impulses that help the brain control the muscles. The most common symptom is muscle weakness that gets worse with activity and improves with rest.
Often muscles that control eye movements, eyelid opening, swallowing, and facial movements are involved. Autoimmune vasculitis happens when the immune system attacks blood vessels. The inflammation that results narrows the arteries and veins, allowing less blood to flow through them.
This condition causes deficiency of a protein, made by stomach lining cells, known as intrinsic factor that is needed in order for the small intestine to absorb vitamin B from food. Pernicious anemia is more common in older adults. According to a study , it affects 0. When gluten is in the small intestine, the immune system attacks this part of the gastrointestinal tract and causes inflammation. A study noted that celiac disease affects about 1 percent of people in the United States.
Individual diseases can also have their own unique symptoms. For example, type 1 diabetes causes extreme thirst, weight loss, and fatigue. IBD causes belly pain, bloating, and diarrhea. With autoimmune diseases like psoriasis or RA, symptoms may come and go. A period of symptoms is called a flare-up. A period when the symptoms go away is called remission. Symptoms might come and go over time.
See a doctor if you have symptoms of an autoimmune disease. You might need to visit a specialist, depending on the type of disease you have. The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you need help finding a specialist. No single test can diagnose most autoimmune diseases.
Your doctor will use a combination of tests and a review of your symptoms and physical examination to diagnose you. The antinuclear antibody test ANA is often one of the first tests that doctors use when symptoms suggest an autoimmune disease. Other tests look for specific autoantibodies produced in certain autoimmune diseases. Your doctor might also do nonspecific tests to check for the inflammation these diseases produce in the body.
Your doctor can use your symptoms and other tests to confirm the diagnosis. Drugs used to treat these conditions include:. Treatments can also help relieve symptoms. More than 80 different autoimmune diseases exist. Often their symptoms overlap, making them hard to diagnose. Blood tests that look for autoantibodies can help doctors diagnose these conditions. Treatments include medications to calm the overactive immune response and bring down inflammation in the body.
Read this article in Spanish. Early lung cancer symptoms may include cough, chest pain, and wheezing. The immune system destroys the cells that give your skin its color. It also can affect the tissue inside your mouth and nose. But they often have symptoms of some autoimmune disease, like being tired all the time and pain. Getting a diagnosis can be a long and stressful process. Although each autoimmune disease is unique, many share some of the same symptoms. And many symptoms of autoimmune diseases are the same for other types of health problems too.
This makes it hard for doctors to find out if you really have an autoimmune disease, and which one it might be. But if you are having symptoms that bother you, it's important to find the cause. Don't give up if you're not getting any answers. You can take these steps to help find out the cause of your symptoms:. Juggling your health care needs among many doctors and specialists can be hard.
But specialists, along with your main doctor, may be helpful in managing some symptoms of your autoimmune disease. If you see a specialist, make sure you have a supportive main doctor to help you. Often, your family doctor may help you coordinate care if you need to see one or more specialists. Here are some specialists who treat autoimmune diseases:. There are many types of medicines used to treat autoimmune diseases. The type of medicine you need depends on which disease you have, how severe it is, and your symptoms.
Treatment can do the following:. Many people try some form of complimentary and alternative medicine CAM at some point in their lives. Some examples of CAM are herbal products, chiropractic , acupuncture , and hypnosis. If you have an autoimmune disease, you might wonder if CAM therapies can help some of your symptoms. This is hard to know. Studies on CAM therapies are limited. Also, some CAM products can cause health problems or interfere with how the medicines you might need work.
If you want to try a CAM treatment, be sure to discuss it with your doctor. Your doctor can tell you about the possible benefits and risks of trying CAM.
Women with autoimmune diseases can safely have children. But there could be some risks for the mother or baby, depending on the disease and how severe it is. For instance, pregnant women with lupus have a higher risk of preterm birth and stillbirth.
Pregnant women with myasthenia gravis MG might have symptoms that lead to trouble breathing during pregnancy.
For some women, symptoms tend to improve during pregnancy, while others find their symptoms tend to flare up. Also, some medicines used to treat autoimmune diseases might not be safe to use during pregnancy. If you want to have a baby, talk to your doctor before you start trying to get pregnant. Your doctor might suggest that you wait until your disease is in remission or suggest a change in medicines before you start trying. You also might need to see a doctor who cares for women with high-risk pregnancies.
Some women with autoimmune diseases may have problems getting pregnant. This can happen for many reasons. Tests can tell if fertility problems are caused by an autoimmune disease or an unrelated reason. Fertility treatments are able to help some women with autoimmune disease become pregnant.
Although most autoimmune diseases don't go away, you can treat your symptoms and learn to manage your disease, so you can enjoy life! Women with autoimmune diseases lead full, active lives. Your life goals should not have to change. It is important, though, to see a doctor who specializes in these types of diseases, follow your treatment plan, and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
You might notice that certain triggers, such as stress or being out in the sun, cause your symptoms to flare. Knowing your triggers, following your treatment plan, and seeing your doctor regularly can help you to prevent flares or keep them from becoming severe.
If you suspect a flare is coming, call your doctor. Don't try a "cure" you heard about from a friend or relative.
If you are living with an autoimmune disease, there are things you can do each day to feel better:. You have some power to lessen your pain! Try using imagery for 15 minutes, two or three times each day. For more information about autoimmune diseases, call the OWH Helpline at TDD: or contact the following organizations:. Department of Health and Human Services. ET closed on federal holidays.
Breadcrumb Home A-Z health topics Autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases Our bodies have an immune system, which is a complex network of special cells and organs that defends the body from germs and other foreign invaders. What are autoimmune diseases?
How common are autoimmune diseases? Who gets autoimmune diseases? Autoimmune diseases can affect anyone.
Yet certain people are at greater risk, including: Women of childbearing age — More women than men have autoimmune diseases, which often start during their childbearing years. People with a family history — Some autoimmune diseases run in families, such as lupus and multiple sclerosis. It is also common for different types of autoimmune diseases to affect different members of a single family. Inheriting certain genes can make it more likely to get an autoimmune disease.
But a combination of genes and other factors may trigger the disease to start. People who are around certain things in the environment — Certain events or environmental exposures may cause some autoimmune diseases, or make them worse.
Sunlight, chemicals called solvents, and viral and bacterial infections are linked to many autoimmune diseases. People of certain races or ethnic backgrounds — Some autoimmune diseases are more common or affect certain groups of people more severely. For instance, type 1 diabetes is more common in white people. Lupus is most severe for African-American and Hispanic people. What autoimmune diseases affect women, and what are their symptoms?
Patchy hair loss on the scalp, face, or other areas of your body Antiphospholipid an-teye-FOSS-foh-lip-ihd antibody syndrome aPL A disease that causes problems in the inner lining of blood vessels resulting in blood clots in arteries or veins. Blood clots in veins or arteries Multiple miscarriages Lacy, net-like red rash on the wrists and knees Autoimmune hepatitis The immune system attacks and destroys the liver cells. Fatigue Enlarged liver Yellowing of the skin or whites of eyes Itchy skin Joint pain Stomach pain or upset Celiac disease A disease in which people can't tolerate gluten, a substance found in wheat, rye, and barley, and also some medicines.
Abdominal bloating and pain Diarrhea or constipation Weight loss or weight gain Fatigue Missed menstrual periods Itchy skin rash Infertility or miscarriages Diabetes type 1 A disease in which your immune system attacks the cells that make insulin, a hormone needed to control blood sugar levels.
Being very thirsty Urinating often Feeling very hungry or tired Losing weight without trying Having sores that heal slowly Dry, itchy skin Losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet Having blurry eyesight Graves' disease overactive thyroid A disease that causes the thyroid to make too much thyroid hormone. Weakness or tingling feeling in the legs that might spread to the upper body Paralysis in severe cases Symptoms often progress relatively quickly, over a period of days or weeks, and often occur on both sides of the body.
Hashimoto's hah-shee-MOH-tohz disease underactive thyroid A disease that causes the thyroid to not make enough thyroid hormone. Very heavy menstrual period Tiny purple or red dots on the skin that might look like a rash. Easy bruising Nosebleed or bleeding in the mouth Inflammatory bowel disease IBD A disease that causes chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Abdominal pain Diarrhea, which may be bloody Some people also have: Rectal bleeding Fever Weight loss Fatigue Mouth ulcers in Crohn's disease Painful or difficult bowel movements in ulcerative colitis Inflammatory myopathies meye-OP-uh-theez A group of diseases that involve muscle inflammation and muscle weakness.
Slow but progressive muscle weakness beginning in the muscles closest to the trunk of the body. Polymyositis affects muscles involved with making movement on both sides of the body. With dermatomyositis, a skin rash comes before or at the same time as muscle weakness. May also have: Fatigue after walking or standing Tripping or falling Difficulty swallowing or breathing Multiple sclerosis MUHL-tip-uhl sklur-OH-suhss MS A disease in which the immune system attacks the protective coating around the nerves.
Weakness and trouble with coordination, balance, speaking, and walking Paralysis Tremors Numbness and tingling feeling in arms, legs, hands, and feet Symptoms vary because the location and extent of each attack vary Myasthenia gravis meye-uhss-THEEN-ee-uh GRAV-uhss MG A disease in which the immune system attacks the nerves and muscles throughout the body.
Double vision, trouble keeping a steady gaze, and drooping eyelids Trouble swallowing, with frequent gagging or choking Weakness or paralysis Muscles that work better after rest Drooping head Trouble climbing stairs or lifting things Trouble talking Primary biliary cirrhosis BIL-ee-air-ee sur-ROH-suhss The immune system slowly destroys the liver's bile ducts. Fatigue Itchy skin Dry eyes and mouth Yellowing of skin and whites of eyes Psoriasis suh-REYE-uh-suhss A disease that causes new skin cells that grow deep in your skin to rise too fast and pile up on the skin surface.
Thick red patches, covered with scales, usually appearing on the head, elbows, and knees Itching and pain, which can make it hard to sleep, walk, and care for yourself May have: A form of arthritis that often affects the joints and the ends of the fingers and toes. Back pain can occur if the spine is involved. Painful, stiff, swollen, and deformed joints Reduced movement and function May have: Fatigue Fever Weight loss Eye inflammation Lung disease Lumps of tissue under the skin, often the elbows Anemia Scleroderma sklair-oh-DUR-muh A disease causing abnormal growth of connective tissue in the skin and blood vessels.
Dry eyes or eyes that itch Dryness of the mouth, which can cause sores Trouble swallowing Loss of sense of taste Severe dental cavities Hoarse voice Fatigue Joint swelling or pain Swollen glands Cloudy eyes Systemic lupus erythematosus LOO-puhss ur-ih-thee-muh-TOH-suhss A disease that can damage the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, and other parts of the body.
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