Autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases are conditions that have arisen from an immune system that has gone rogue, where instead of protecting the body, it has attacked its own tissues. 

People that present with autoimmune conditions have symptoms that are complex and with varying degrees of severity, the range of symptoms you have determines where you sit on the autoimmune spectrum. All symptoms are the result of inflammation due to tissue damage in the body, causing pain and discomfort. 

Natural Therapies have proven to be clinically effective in treating not only the symptoms of Autoimmune disease, but the drivers also. Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy and Integrative Counselling are key therapies I use in restoring immune balance.

The common autoimmune conditions I have a specialised interest in are :  

• Thyroid Conditions such as: 

  • Hashimoto’s/Hypothyroidism: a deficiency of thyroid hormones within the body commonly caused by the destruction of thyroid cells by the immune system.  Symptoms of Hypothyroidism include: Hypothyroidism signs and symptoms may include:

    • Fatigue

    • Increased sensitivity to cold

    • Constipation

    • Dry skin

    • Weight gain

    • Puffy face

    • Hoarseness

    • Muscle weakness

    • Elevated blood cholesterol level

    • Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness

    • Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints

    • Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods

    • Thinning hair

    • Slowed heart rate

    • Depression

    • Impaired memory

    • Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)

  • Grave’s Disease: is caused by the over-activity in thyroid function caused by the destruction of thyroid cells by the immune system.  Symptoms include: Unintentional weight loss, even when your appetite and food intake stay the same or increase

    • Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) — commonly more than 100 beats a minute

    • Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)

    • Pounding of your heart (palpitations)

    • Increased appetite

    • Nervousness, anxiety and irritability

    • Tremor — usually a fine trembling in your hands and fingers

    • Sweating

    • Changes in menstrual patterns

    • Increased sensitivity to heat

    • Changes in bowel patterns, especially more frequent bowel movements

    • An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), which may appear as a swelling at the base of your neck

    • Fatigue, muscle weakness

    • Difficulty sleeping

    • Skin thinning

    • Fine, brittle hair

• Multiple Sclerosis: occurs when the immune system attacks the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerve fibres creating communication issues between the brain and the body. The severity of symptoms depends on the severity of the autoimmune damage but includes some or more of the following: Symptoms often affect movement, such as:

  • Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that typically occurs on one side of your body at a time, or the legs and trunk

  • Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward (Lhermitte sign)

  • Tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait

  Vision problems are also common, including:

  • Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement

  • Prolonged double vision

  • Blurry vision

  Multiple sclerosis symptoms may also include:

  • Slurred speech

  • Fatigue

  • Dizziness

  • Tingling or pain in parts of your body

  • Problems with sexual, bowel and bladder function

• Rheumatoid Arthritis: is an Autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the joint tissues of the body creating pain, swelling and eventual deforming of the joints. The inflammation in RA can also cause issues in the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels. The most common symptoms are;

  • Tender, warm, swollen joints

  • Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity

  • Fatigue, fever and loss of appetite

• SLE – Lupus is an Autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. Symptoms include a range of the following:

  • Fatigue

  • Fever

  • Joint pain, stiffness and swelling

  • The classic Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body

  • Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure (photosensitivity)

  • Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods (Raynaud's phenomenon)

  • Shortness of breath

  • Chest pain

  • Dry eyes

  • Headaches, confusion and memory loss

• Crohn’s Disease: is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract that is both painful and debilitating. It causes the following symptoms:

  • Abdominal pain

  • Severe diarrhea

  • fatigue

  • weight loss

  • malnutrition

• Ulcerative Colitis: is an inflammatory bowel disease that is caused by the immune system generating an inflammatory response in the large intestine (colon) and rectum causing severe and painful symptoms;

  • Diarrhea, often with blood or pus

  • Abdominal pain and cramping

  • Rectal pain

  • Rectal bleeding — passing small amount of blood with stool

  • Urgency to defecate

  • Inability to defecate despite urgency

  • Weight loss

  • Fatigue

  • Fever

  • In children, failure to grow

• Psoriasis: is an immune condition whereby the body produces a raid increase in the amount and of the life cycle of skin cells. The extra skin cells produce patches of skin that is red, itchy and can be painful. The symptoms can come and go throughout a persons life. The following symptoms are common;

  • Red patches of skin covered with thick, silvery scales

  • Small scaling spots (commonly seen in children)

  • Dry, cracked skin that may bleed

  • Itching, burning or soreness

  • Thickened, pitted or ridged nails

  • Swollen and stiff joints

• Endometriosis: is an autoimmune condition where the body produces endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. These tissues grow in the same way that regular endometrial tissues do so they are subject to the same hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle. Hence the symptoms are cyclical also. The common presenting symptoms are;

  • Painful periods (dysmenorrhea). Pelvic pain and cramping may begin before and extend several days into a menstrual period. You may also have lower back and abdominal pain.

  • Pain with intercourse. Pain during or after sex is common with endometriosis.

  • Pain with bowel movements or urination. You're most likely to experience these symptoms during a menstrual period.

  • Excessive bleeding. You may experience occasional heavy menstrual periods or bleeding between periods (intermenstrual bleeding).

  • Infertility. Sometimes, endometriosis is first diagnosed in those seeking treatment for infertility.

  • Other signs and symptoms. You may experience fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating or nausea, especially during menstrual periods.

• IBS: is a common inflammatory bowel disease that is the result of inflammation in the digestive tract, alrgely the large intestine. The signs and symptoms of IBS vary was there can be periods of time when no symptomsa are present. The most common symptoms include:

  • Abdominal pain, cramping or bloating that is typically relieved or partially relieved by passing a bowel movement

  • Excess gas

  • Diarrhea or constipation — sometimes alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation

  • Mucus in the stool

If you’re interested understanding more about how I can help treat your autoimmune condition, and experience relief of pain, please contact me for a free introductory chat.