How Do You Know If You Have an Autoimmune Disease?

An autoimmune disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose. It’s a name for a series of conditions in which your immune system mistakenly starts attacking healthy cells within your body. This can include your skin, joints, pancreas, nervous system, hair, blood vessels, digestive tract, thyroid and more.

The symptoms vary widely and often match a range of other common conditions, so it’s very common that they go undetected for long periods of time. On top of that, there is no test available to get a conclusive diagnosis, so doctors have to draw on their knowledge and experience.

If you suspect you may have an autoimmune disease, it’s important to work with a doctor who specializes in treating these types of conditions because they’ll be able to help you find the answers you need. For this reason, consider scheduling an appointment with a functional medicine doctor, because they take a holistic approach to uncovering the root cause of an illness and restoring health.

Here at Tri-Cities Functional Medicine, we help people reclaim their health and happiness. Our passionate team will provide the tools you need to take charge of your well-being and make life-long changes. We’re based in Johnson City, Tennessee, but we work with people from all over the Tri-Cities area and beyond. This includes Bristol, Kingsport, Knoxville, Greeneville, Elizabethton, Morristown and Abingdon in Virginia.

How Do You Get an Autoimmune Disease?

Autoimmune diseases affect about 23 million Americans, the majority of whom are women. Scientists still don’t know why women are affected more than men. One theory is that childbearing hormones make women more susceptible - however, this is yet to be proven definitively.

They can affect anyone at any time. They usually start because the body senses danger and fires up the immune system to respond to a virus or infection. They become problematic when healthy tissue is caught in the crossfire. Sometimes, the immune system doesn’t know when to stop. This can occur in response to high levels of stress, inflammation in the body, lifestyle risk factors, genetic risk factors, environmental triggers, and a whole range of other reasons.

Conventional medicine is great at treating acute illnesses and injuries, but it struggles to treat chronic illnesses like autoimmune diseases. Medication can mask the symptoms, but it may not be able to treat the cause and will need to be taken for the rest of your life to keep you comfortable.

Functional medicine doctors, on the other hand, take the time to get to know you to figure out exactly what’s going on inside your body and why. This is key to diagnosing your autoimmune disease and creating an effective treatment plan for the long-term.

What Are Some Common Autoimmune Diseases?

Autoimmune diseases can affect any part of the body. Many share symptoms, such as fatigue, weakness, and general aches and pains. You might also have swollen glands, recurring fevers, skin problems, and digestive issues. However, each type has distinct symptoms that are critical to making a diagnosis. These are some of the most common ones we treat at our clinic:

Type 1 diabetes: This affects the pancreas and can be deadly if untreated. Antibodies attack and destroy insulin-producing cells, affecting the body’s ability to convert food to energy.

Rheumatoid arthritis: This affects joint linings and causes painful inflammation and swelling. It can cause permanent damage if left untreated, so it’s important to be proactive.

Celiac disease: This is triggered by eating gluten and severely impacts digestion. It can cause bloating, anemia, and even chronic conditions like osteoporosis.

Multiple sclerosis: This causes lesions on the protective layers around the nerves. Over time, MS can cause symptoms like blindness, muscle spasms, and poor coordination.

Alopecia: This occurs when the body attacks hair follicles. It can cause baldness over the head, face, and body and can affect both men and women.

Lupus: This disease can affect many different tissues and organs in the body, including the kidneys, heart, lungs, nerves, blood cells, and even the brain.

Crohn’s disease: This causes inflammation in the digestive tract with severe pain. It can cause chronic symptoms including diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition.

Psoriasis: This autoimmune disease affects the skin. Antibodies collect in the skin and produce thick, scaly cells to develop. It can be itchy and ve

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Created on Mar 5th 2021 05:54. Viewed 292 times.

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