Autoimmune Disease
Definition- when the body's natural immune system gets confused and produces antibodies that attack it's own cells and tissues. There are many types including, but not limited to:
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*Hashimoto's Thyroiditis/Grave's Disease
*Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
*Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or SLE)
*Type 1 Diabetes
*Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
*Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD, Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)
*Psoriasis/Psoriatic Arthritis
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See symptoms list for each of these below.
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Triggers may include environmental factors and toxins or past infections and may have a genetic component.
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Women between ages 15 and 50 are the most likely victims, but men can also be affected.
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Symptoms- vary in individuals and are progressive.
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*Hashimoto's Thyroiditis/Grave's Disease- Symptoms may vacillate between increased and decreased thyroid function which makes this difficult to diagnose.
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-Hashimoto's is caused by hypo or decreased thyroid function causing extreme fatigue, weight gain, sensitivity to cold, dry skin and hair and brittle nails, constipation, muscle and joint pain and stiffness, mood changes like depression, irregular or heavy menstrual periods, difficulty concentrating "brain fog", and goiter (enlargement in neck).
-Grave's is caused by overactive or hyper thyroid function causing nervousness/irritability, tremor, heat sensitivity, weight loss, irregular or light menstrual cycles, increased bowel movements, low libido/erectile dysfunction, fatigue, and heart palpitations.​
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*Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)- joint pain and swelling especially in the morning and on both sides of the body, mostly hands, fatigue, fever, weight loss.
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*Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or SLE)- fatigue, joint pain and swelling, rash especially a "butterfly" rash across cheeks and nose made worse by sun, hair loss, fever, mouth sores, Raynaud's Phenomenon which decreases blood flow in fingers and toes.
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*Type 1 Diabetes- increased thirst and urination, extreme hunger, weight loss, fatigue, and nausea and vomiting.
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*Multiple Sclerosis (MS)- numbness and tingling on face arms and legs, fatigue, muscle weakness and spasm, lightheadedness and balance issues, shocking pain sensation, urinary frequency, constipation, reduced libido, sun sensitivity, and tremors.
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*Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)- very similar but treated differently
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-Crohn's Disease- abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, blood in stool, mouth sores, and fever.
-Ulcerative Colitis- abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, weight loss, and blood in stools and rectum.
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*Psoriasis/Psoriatic Arthritis- joint pain, stiffness, and redness, swelling in fingers and toes, pain and tenderness where ligaments and tendons meet bones, and gray scaly patches on skin.
Functional Medicine Approach-
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You will have a full assessment of your current lifestyle, nutrition, stress level and management, and sleep health and hygiene.
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Individualized plans of care will be created by the practitioner and patient.
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Depending on your specific symptoms, there may be more targeted assessment and testing of blood sugar metabolism, thyroid function, pituitary. or hypothalamus function and cardiovascular assessment, gut imbalances, food intolerances, toxin screening, hormone imbalance, antibody intolerances, inflammatory markers, and/or deficiencies of nutrients.
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After finding the root cause of illness plans may be revised. Solutions can be multi-layered and take time, especially auto-immune disease and hormone imbalance. We may need to integrate care with a specialist after referral.
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Detox plans are gentle and supervised if necessary.
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Commitment to treatment will improve outcomes.
We will support you every step of the way!