Autoimmune Disease

Autoimmune disease is on the rise. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates up to 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease and that the prevalence is rising.

Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body actually attacks its own cells. The immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks it.

In both autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases the conditions arise through aberrant reactions of the human adaptive or innate immune systems. In autoimmunity, the patient's immune system is activated against the body's own proteins. In inflammatory diseases, it is the overreaction of the immune system, and its subsequent downstream signaling (TNF, IFN, etc), which causes problems.

Symptoms of Autoimmune Disease: The symptoms of autoimmune disease vary depending on the disease as well as the person's immune system. Common symptoms include:

Fatigue Dizziness Fever Extreme sensitivity to cold in the hands and feet Weakness and stiffness in muscles and joints Weight changes

Digestive or gastrointestinal problems Low or high blood pressure Irritability Anxietyor depression Infertility or reduced sex drive (low libido) Blood sugar changes

Treatment of Autoimmune Disease: The most common treatments utilize immune suppressant drugs. However, the risks associated with long term use can be catastrophic. Sage Medical Laboratory offers another option…our complement antigen test identifies destructive reactions. An elimination of these antigens lowers the immune load. Call Sage medical Laboratory to find out how we can help, 1-800-491-9511.

Accepted Autoimmune Diseases:

Addison's Disease Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease (AIED) Balo Disease Behcet's Disease Bullous Pemphigoid Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy Cicatrical Pemphigoid Cold Agglutinin Disease CREST Syndrome Crohns Disease

Degos Disease Dermatomyositis Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 Goodpasture's Syndrome Graves' Disease Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) Hashimoto's Disease Juvenile Arthritis Lichen Planus Lupus Erythematosus Meniere's Disease Myasthenia Gravis

Narcolepsy PANDAS Pemphigus Vulgaris Pernicious Anemia Psoriatic Arthritis Polymyositis Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Rheumatoid Arthritis Sjogren's Syndrome Ulcerative Colitis (IBD) Vasculitis Wegener's Granulomatosis

Suspected Autoimmune Diseases:

Chagas Disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Endometriosis Hydradenitis Suppurativa

Kawasaki Disease IgA Nephropathy Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Interstitial Cystitis

Morphea Neuromyotonia Sarcoidosis Scleroderma Vitiligo

According to the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association there are critical obstacles in diagnosis and treatment. Medical education provides minimal learning about autoimmune disease and may be unaware of advances in treatment outside their own specialty area. Symptoms cross many specialties and can affect all body organs and initial symptoms are often intermittent and unspecific until the disease becomes acute. Specialists are generally unaware of interrelationships among the different autoimmune diseases.

Related Chronic Illnesses