Naturopathic Solutions For Immune System Health
Your immune system keeps you healthy. It’s your body’s defense against any bacteria, viruses, and fungi that might want to invade.
When your immune system is healthy and functioning well, it fights off all sorts of pathogens. But when it’s weak, you become more susceptible to a wide variety of illnesses.
What’s more, in some cases, your immune system may actually begin attacking parts of your body – a state of health known as an autoimmune condition.
In these cases, your body mistakes its own tissue for a pathogen. The reason why this happens isn’t yet fully understood.
However, autoimmune conditions can cause a variety of health concerns, and in extreme cases may be deadly.
As a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Pat Nardini has a special interest in autoimmune conditions.
Who Gets Autoimmune Diseases?
In general, anyone is at risk for developing an autoimmune disease. However, some populations are at greater risk than others.
For example, women seem to be about twice as likely to develop an autoimmune disease as men. As well, certain diseases affect certain ethnicities more than others. Lupus, for example, is less common in those of European descent than in those of African or Hispanic descent.
There’s a genetic component as well. If your direct relatives have an autoimmune disorder, you’re at greater risk of developing one yourself, though not necessarily the same one.
Other potential risk factors of autoimmune diseases include exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and a Western diet.
Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders
There are a number of thyroid disorders which fall under the category of autoimmune disorders.
These include Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease.
In each of these cases, your immune system mistakes your thyroid, or part of it, for a pathogen.
The symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are often the same as hyothyroidism, and include:
- Chronic fatigue
- Memory problems
- Difficulty focusing
- Constipation
- Muscle cramps
- Aches and pains in muscles, joints, or bones
- Swelling legs
- Depression
- Dry or brittle hair
- Increased cholesterol
- Increased sensitivity to cold
- Unexpected weight gain
Meanwhile, the symptoms of Graves’ disease match that of hyerthyroidism. They include:
- Increased sensitivity to heat
- Trembling hands
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Increased sweating, especially in your palms
- Reduced libido
- Erectile dysfunction
- Menstrual changes
- Diarrhea
- Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
- Irregular heartbeat
- Unexpected weight loss
- Insomnia
- Bulging eyes
- Scaly patches on skin
As a naturopathic thyroid doctor, Dr. Pat has a special interest in treatments for thyroid disorders. His approach focuses on uncovering the root cause of your thyroid disorder. For more on this, visit Dr. Pat’s page on thyroid disorders.
Autoimmune Digestive Disorders
Certain digestive disorders have an autoimmune aspect to them as well. These include Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
These disorders can be incredibly painful, and if left untreated may be deadly as well.
For more on these disorders, visit Dr. Pat’s page on digestive health.
Naturopathic Solutions For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Most people think of arthritis as a disease of old age. That’s true in general with osteoarthritis, but rheumatoid arthritis is different.
With rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks the membranes lining your joints. It most commonly affects the joints in your hands, wrists, elbows, feet, knees, and ankles.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
- Joint pain
- Joint inflammation
- Joint warmth
- Chronic fatigue
- Decreased range of motion
- Anemia
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
As a rheumatoid arthritis condition progresses, your cartilage wears away. As a result, the spacing between your bones can shrink. This can cause your bones to grind together between your joints, which can be incredibly painful.
Joint damage can’t currently be reversed, so if you believe you may have rheumatoid arthritis, contact Dr. Pat today to book an appointment.
Other Autoimmune Conditions
There are over 100 different autoimmune conditions currently identified. Other than the ones listed above, they include, but are not limited to:
- Diabetes (type 1 and 2)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- Lupus
- Psoriasis
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Addison’s disease
- Lyme disease
- Narcolepsy
- Endometriosis
- Fibromyalgia
Get Naturopathic Treatments For Autoimmune Diseases
Currently, there is no known cure for autoimmune diseases.
However, naturopathic treatments can help you manage the associated inflammation and your symptoms.
Each autoimmune case is different. However, through the use of botanical medicine, acupuncture, and diet and lifestyle counseling, Dr. Pat may be able to help you control your autoimmune flare-ups. This can help improve your quality of life.
In many cases, naturopathic medicine can help you keep a leash on your autoimmune condition for years.
If you’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, or you believe you may have, book an appointment with Dr. Pat today.