Allie’s Corner: Autoimmune Diseases
Welcome back to “Allie’s Corner,” where our favorite Physician Assistant Allie Nowak, certified in functional medicine through the Kresser Institute, shares tips on how to invite greater health and wellness into your everyday life.
You are probably already familiar with autoimmune diseases – where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues – such as type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and psoriasis. They can affect multiple organs and produce signs and symptoms that range from fatigue to rashes to swelling to digestive issues, often making diagnosis difficult.
Typically, diagnosing an autoimmune disease requires a careful history, physical exam, lab tests and sometimes additional imaging. Women and those with a family history of autoimmunity are at higher risk and our environment can also prevent or trigger development.
All autoimmune diseases combined affect about 3 percent of the U.S. population (approximately 1 in 12 Americans, 1 in 9 women, and 10 million people). To put this in perspective, all cancers affect 4 percent of the population and type 2 diabetes affects 15 percent. Autoimmune diseases are on the rise, and this is not due to increased recognition or altered diagnostic criteria. It is almost universally agreed upon by scientists and physicians that environmental toxins and chemicals to which we are increasingly exposed are interfering with our immune system’s ability to distinguish self from non-self. Additionally, about 80 percent of our immune system is found within the gut, and the rising obesity epidemic plus consumption of processed and highly inflammatory food creates an environment that can trigger autoimmunity in susceptible individuals.
Treatment should be aimed at addressing the immune system dysfunction, including:
- Limit exposure to toxins and chemicals
- Eat a whole-food, nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory diet
- Heal any gut dysbiosis or underlying pathology
- Get adequate sleep, which is essential for recovery and healing
- Stress management
It is important to take these steps and be aware that positive lifestyle changes can make a difference, since autoimmune conditions tend to occur with increased frequency in individuals with a previous history of other autoimmune disease. If you have one, you are at higher risk to develop another, so focus on a healthy lifestyle and prevention is essential.
