Autoimmune Disease: What You Need to Know
- Bret & Camille McClellan
- Apr 14, 2016
- 4 min read
When it comes to autoimmune diseases, it’s good to understand how the immune system functions. The immune system is the ”armed forces” of the human body. It is the defender against foreign invaders such as bacteria, germs, viruses, or anything threatening our health.
All living things have an immune system that adapts with time, to work to defend you against unwanted “invaders.” Luckily, your immune system has memory. Why lucky? when a foreign invader gets inside your body, your “armed forces” remember how to effectively go into action. Your system then defeats the invader and so you can return to naturally being well again.
Additionally, once your immune system defeats the invader, it remembers everything about the invader. If the invader returns, your body more quickly mounts a very effective and stronger response to it.
Now that you understand, on an elementary level about how you autoimmune system works, you also can see how to work with it. Working with it helps you make an informed decision about health care options available to you.
The Science of Immunology
Immunology is the scientific study of how the immune system works. When your immune system works according to it’s natural effective design, understand that it knows how to target a wide variety of invaders also called pathogens. A pathogen is anything that can cause illness or disease.
Ordinarily, your immune system knows the good pathogens from the bad ones. Yes, some pathogens exist that do you good!
When the immune system is working improperly, it begins attacking normal healthy tissue as if that healthy tissue were a foreign, offending invader. An autoimmune disease works in this fashion. It attacks healthy tissue thinking it is an invader.
If the immune system stops doing its job, your ability to fight infection and prevent illness decreases.
Air pollution, antibiotics, pesticides, disease causing germs, bad drinking water and viruses threaten the health of everyone. Our immune system keeps us disease free in many ways that go unnoticed. Our skin is the first line of defense against disease. By way of chemical messaging, the immune system calls other defense systems into action.
Ways to Get Rid of Pathogens in Autoimmune Diseases
In our lungs, mucus works to trap germs we cough out. Sneezing is another way we get rid of germs. Our intestinal tract, tears and urine all flush out germs. These are physical examples, but there are actions at the cellular level that help us fight against disease.
Our immune system actually changes cellular chemistry so that germs can’t live and multiply. White blood cells can be seen as “special forces” in the war against infection and disease. They’re experts at identifying and killing invading germs by literally eating them. White blood cells patrol the body and are first responders to any sign of inflammation or infection such as pain, heat, or swelling.
A healthy immune system calls killer cells, killer T cells, and helper T cells into action when appropriate. Specialized fighting cells respond to the chemical messages received from the immune system. The effectiveness of these cells depends on a healthy immune system.
Disorders of the immune system lessen the body’s ability to fight disease. A failed immune system confuses the specialized T cells and they start attacking the body as they would a foreign invader. This more clearly paints the picture of an autoimmune disorder in action.
What causes the immune system to turn on its host has been studied and researched for many years. Many theories have been presented, but the cause of autoimmune disease remains unknown.
To date some 80 autoimmune disorders have been identified. They are chronic conditions that cannot be cured, only controlled.
The latest estimates report 50 million Americans, that’s 1 in 6 Americans, have an autoimmune disorder (AD). Compare this with cancer statistics which affects up to 9 million and heart disease which affects up to 22 million. Check out this fact sheet from the AARDA:
Who are most at risk to contract an AD? Women of childbearing age, African descent, Native American, and Hispanics. Genetics, age, hormones, and the environment also play a role in causing autoimmune disorders.
The annual health care cost for treating autoimmune disorders is twice that for cancer care. Western medicine treats autoimmune disorders with drugs that lower the immune system’s ability to fight infection, hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs, and steroids.
Homeopathy, naturopathy, and mind/body approaches to healing has gained wider acceptance from western medicine. Studies have shown that the more control a person feels he or she has over a situation, the higher the rate of healing.
We are here to help you with your AD by gathering facts from your entire history. We treat the entire person working toward uncovering the how and why of your disorder. By working from the “big picture” we help you see how to naturally have a positive effect on your health today.
We are McClellan natural health, promoting wellness & nutrition. Our mission is to help you reclaim your health, naturally! We are here to help. If you have already been diagnosed with an AD, please call us for a consultation now at (770) 865-7232. You can also email us at camille@McClellanNaturalHealth.com, www.mcclellannaturalhealth.com.
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