Autoimmunity affects over 24 million people in the United States, 78% of which are women. It’s the 3rd most prevalent category of disease in the U.S. (after cancer and cardiovascular disease).
1 in 12 women will end up with an autoimmune disease due to times of high stress and low hormones, such as the postpartum period and perimenopause. And yet it takes an average of 4.5 years and half a dozen doctors appointments for most women to get a diagnosis from the onset of their symptoms.
What if instead, we could proactively monitor our health to prevent the development of an autoimmune disease or slow and reverse the progression once developed by catching it early?
What is Autoimmunity?
Autoimmunity is defined as the reaction of the immune system to self, as if the self was a foreign invader. In autoimmunity, our immune system goes haywire and mistakes our body’s own tissues as the enemy. This mistake, called molecular mimicry, leads to antibody production, symptoms, and eventually damage to the cells, organs and tissues that are being attacked.
Similar to many health conditions, autoimmunity exists on a spectrum. Unfortunately, conventional medicine is geared toward diagnosing and treating a condition once you have it (aka stage 3 of autoimmunity). Functional medicine, on the other hand, is focused on identifying signs and symptoms of autoimmunity earlier, in stage 1 or 2, to prevent the progression to full blown autoimmunity.
Western medicine often views autoimmune disease as chronic and incurable, with the main focus on managing symptoms, but functional medicine believes in the body’s ability to heal and put autoimmunity into remission.
Symptoms of Autoimmunity
Because autoimmunity can affect nearly every system in the body, the signs and symptoms are far reaching, but of may include:
- Pain, swelling and weakness in muscles or joints
- Fatigue
- Skin flares or rashes
- Depression or anxiety
- Brain fog, difficulty with memory, focus and attention
- Digestive issues
- Random and recurrent fever
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- Insomnia
- Rapid heart beat
- Hair loss
- Numbness and tingling in hands and feet or cold extremities
A Functional Approach to Autoimmunity
In functional medicine, we’ve identified 3 factors that are required for someone to develop an autoimmune disease. These include:
- Genetic predisposition. In order for autoimmunity to “turn on,” you must first have the gene. But it’s important to know that genes alone do not produce disease, the other two factors need to be present to “pull the trigger.”
- Intestinal permeability or “leaky gut.” When the tight junctions between cells lining the small intestine separate, larger proteins molecules and pathogens that are meant to stay in the gut “leak” into the bloodstream, resulting in an immune response. Modern life predisposes us to intestinal permeability due to poor diet, high stress, alcohol and antibiotic use, and exposure to toxins like pesticides.
- A trigger. With genetics and intestinal permeability as key root causes, the immune system still needs a trigger to turn on the autoimmunity. Triggers can be periods of extreme stress, childhood trauma, food sensitivities such as gluten, viruses, and environmental chemicals.
Knowing these factors involved in the development of autoimmunity, Functional Medicine addresses autoimmunity from a whole-body approach including many of the foundational pillars of health:
- Nutrition
- Gut healing and repair
- Stress management
- Sleep and circadian rhythm
- Decreasing environmental toxins and triggers
- Mindset work
- Addressing trauma and adverse childhood events
Autoimmune Conditions I Specialize in Include:
- Celiac Disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Ulcerative Colitis
If you’re interested in learning more about my Functional Medicine approach to autoimmunity, book a FREE Wellness Assessment with me – zero pressure!