Autoimmune Mysteries Revealed
Autoimmune Mysteries Revealed
Many people are unknowingly suffering from an underlying autoimmune disease. If you, like so many out there, are suffering from some sort of chronic issue, but no one has been able to figure out the cause of your problems, it is likely that you too are suffering from some sort of autoimmune disease.
Putting it in Perspective
You probably are not aware of just how prevalent autoimmune diseases are in the modern world. Let’s put it into perspective by comparing autoimmune diseases to another very common genre of disease: cancer.
Cancer is a terrible disease. It has taken so many lives to the point that everyone knows someone who either has cancer or has died from cancer. And yet the number of people who suffer from autoimmune diseases in the United States is more than double the number of people with cancer.
On top of that, autoimmune diseases cost Americans over $100 billion each year, while the cost to treat cancers rakes in $57 million yearly. And yet cancer gets $6.1 billion of funding to research cures and treatments, while autoimmune diseases only received $591 million.
In fact, 1 in every 6 Americans will suffer from an autoimmune disease each year. In contrast, 1 in every 13 Americans will suffer from heart disease, and 1 in 33 will suffer from some form of cancer.
There are over 80 different autoimmune diseases - that we know of - and over 50 million Americans are currently suffering or treating their issues. Interestingly 75% of all autoimmune patients are women.
What Causes Autoimmune Disease?
Autoimmune diseases are when the body attacks itself. Your immune system incorrectly responds against your body’s own tissues. Your immune system is constantly analyzing everything in your body, and trying to determine if it is a “friend” or a “foe.” Your immune system errs on the side of aggression, so if it is confused then it will respond by attacking those tissues.
Think of it like your immune system getting drunk. It might recognize too much of a system or organ. Since having too many thyroids would be problematic, your immune system will decide to attack those tissues to remove the excess.
If your autoimmune disease goes undiagnosed or untreated, then your immune system response will continue to ramp up its response. The inflammation caused by your system attacking itself will further trigger an immune response, only worsening your condition.
What Forms Can Autoimmune Disease Take?
This can happen in almost any system in your body, but most commonly takes these forms:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Celiac Disease
- Crohn’s Disease
- Type 1 diabetes
- Asthma
- Arthritis
- Lupus
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
The three states of autoimmune disease:
- Stage one: Silent autoimmunity. In this stage, you have elevated levels of antibodies, but no symptoms.
- Stage two: Autoimmune reactivity. In this stage, you have symptoms, but no noticeable loss of tissue.
- Stage three: Autoimmune disease. In this final stage, you have elevated antibodies, symptoms, and tissue destruction.
