LIFESTYLE | Your Health & Wellness
WHEN YOUR BODY IS THE ENEMY BY ANNIE OSTEEN
It may start out slow. You may not notice anything or you may have a feeling something is wrong but can’t quite quantify what it is. Then one day it feels as if the flood gates have opened with an overwhelming sense that the things you once took for granted have now become a struggle. Oftentimes we brush off symptoms as a part of “getting older” when the reality is much more complicated. There comes a day when many of us must meet our enemy behind the issues...the autoimmune disorder. What is an autoimmune disorder? Well, to break it down, one of the main jobs of our immune system is to protect the body from anything that it considers to be invading and doesn’t belong there, such as viruses and bacteria. When something unhealthy does enter our body, our immune system sends antibodies to the front line to fight and destroy it. However, sometimes the body only “thinks” it sees an invading problem and starts to attack when there isn’t a problem. That’s where autoimmune diseases originate. There are endless lists of autoimmune disorders. There are more popular, well-known ones and there are others that have just reached the surface of being researched and examined. Unfortunately, autoimmune disorders can’t be reversed and are thought to be a genetic predisposition exacerbated by an unhealthy lifestyle of a poor diet and lack of exercise. What are some common autoimmune disorders and how can someone recognize them? 28 YOURWILLIAMSON.COM | MARCH 2017
CELIAC DISEASE: When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their bodies essentially attack the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi which line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body. Symptoms include: abdominal bloating and pain, constipation, weight loss and fatigue. Currently, the only treatment for celiac disease is a strict, glutenfree diet. This disorder is hereditary and a simple blood test can determine whether someone has celiac disease. HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks the thyroid gland. Doctors have not figured out why this happens but they do know that like celiac disease, it is a genetic disorder. Hashimoto’s affects more women than men and is the most common form of hypothyroidism in the United States. Symptoms include fatigue, mental fogginess, weight gain, puffy face, irregular bowel patterns and dry skin. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in the joints. This occurs when the immune system attacks the membrane lining the joints. It’s estimated that approximately 1.5 million people suffer from RA and again, science shows because it’s an autoimmune disorder, it’s genetic. RA can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages as there is no single blood test that can be done and symptoms can vary between individuals, sometimes masking itself as arthritis. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is when the body attacks the myelin sheaths around the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This leads to poor communication as the nerves can’t signal to each other like they used to. Because the nerves are involved, symptoms can come and go depending on the severity of the condition or if a flare is triggered. Typically, people complain of muscle weakness, spasms, numbness or tingling and vision problems. Unfortunately, there is no cure and while it’s not necessarily considered genetic, there are genetic factors that can play a part in the start of MS. There is no shortage of autoimmune disorders. Sometimes being tired is normal, other times it’s not. Sometimes gaining weight is attributed to diet and lack of exercise, other times it’s not. Intuition is an incredible gift, one that we all possess. If you use it, you can save yourself a lot of damage in the long run. Autoimmune disorders are sneaky and if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself swimming upstream trying to fix and stabilize it.