Autoimmune Conditions: The Basics

Do you experience consistent extreme fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, swelling, and fever?

Do you have digestion problems, abdominal pain, skin problems, or swollen glands?  

One day these symptoms are here and the next they are gone… only to reappear…

Chances are you could have an Autoimmune condition…..

What is an Autoimmune Condition?

According to the National Cancer Institute, an Autoimmune condition is a condition in which the body’s immune system mistakes its own healthy tissues as foreign and attacks them. Inflammation, redness, swelling, pain/or a feeling of heat in the body, can be attributed to an autoimmune disease.  The inflammation is a protective reactive to an injury, irritation of the tissue, or disease.

Diagnosing an Autoimmune disease

Contact A Doctor.  According to Healthline, an autoimmune condition can be diagnosed by a doctor. Although there is no single test used, doctors often use the antinuclear antibody test (ANA) which doesn’t confirm what autoimmune disease you have, however, a positive indicates one does have an autoimmune disease. Other tools may include the following (Betterhealth):

Medical History

Physical Examination

Biopsy

X-Rays

Blood Test

Types of Autoimmune Conditions

The parts of the body affected depend on which autoimmune disease a person has. There are over 80 autoimmune diseases . The most common autoimmune diseases are the following:

• Diabetes
• Addison’s Disease
• Celiac Disease
• Pernicious Anemia
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
• Autoimmune Vasculitis
• Grave’s Disease
• Sjogren’s Syndrome
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Pernicious Anemia
• Myasthenia Gravis

The Cause  

Genetic predisposition, environmental factors (including infections), and gut dysbiosis linked to chronic stress can contribute to the cause of an autoimmune condition. More common in women, autoimmune conditions can run in families. Drugs, emotional stress, bacteria, heavy metals, chemical toxicants, and viruses are environmental factors that can trigger an autoimmune condition. Also, Chronic stress, nutrition, and diet affect the composition of the gut contributing to the cause of autoimmune diseases (Hindawi 2014). Unfortunately, researchers do not have a specific reason why the body turns against itself, however, the above factors are linked to the contribution of an Autoimmune condition.

Treatments

Autoimmune conditions cannot be cured, according to most research. However, the condition can be managed with the following tools or resources:

Physical Therapy

Pain-Killing Medication

Anti- Inflammatory Drugs

Immunosuppressant Drugs

High Dose Immunosuppression

Surgery

Diet and Exercise