Coping with Autoimmune disease in daily life
An autoimmune disease is a condition in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your body.
I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) at 12 years old. Aged 25 I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, that is a chronic pain autoimmune disease.One of the main symptoms I have to deal with is the fatigue side of it. I have had loads of people say “You look well,” not realising that though I may look good on the outside but I’m still very sick, as my body continues to fight against itself!
Treatments can't cure autoimmune diseases, but they can help manage the disease and at times cause the disease to be in remission, causing the disease to temporarily stop the ‘activity’ of the disease.
Researchers don’t know exactly what causes autoimmune diseases. Genetics, diet, infections, and exposure to chemicals might be involved.
Certain autoimmune diseases, like multiple sclerosis and lupus, may run in families. Some autoimmune diseases are more common in certain ethnic groups. However every family member won’t necessarily have the same disease, but may inherit a sensitivity(having a higher chance to get ‘part of a disease.) to an autoimmune condition. Diet can have a huge impact on autoimmune disease, such as a “Western diet” is another suspected risk factor for developing an autoimmune disease, because it is high-fat, high-sugar and highly processed foods are thought to be linked to inflammation.
The right diet can help ease pain and heal autoimmune diseases. In general, avoid caffeine, alcohol, sugar, grains, dairy and red meat, and focus on fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and fish.
Researchers found that frequent alcohol consumption increases the number of gut toxins in the bloodstream. High levels of these endotoxins are linked to chronic inflammation, as well as other diseases.
Many autoimmune disorders create inflammation in the body, which causes muscle and joint pain, as well as fatigue. A good idea is to go see a nutritionist to see if there are diet changes you can make to help you manage your symptoms of the disease. Managing your symptoms isn’t just about making nutritional changes, exercise can help, loosen up your joints and, hopefully helping you generally to feel better. However just remember to pace yourself, gradually increasing your amount of exercise weekly
I always feel better once I’ve done a bit of exercise. Afterwards, I seem to have more energy and feel motivated to get tasks done for the rest of the day. Note that you shouldn’t push yourself as some of the consequences may be stiffness and your joints can become sore from overdoing it. Moderate, low-impact exercise can give you a longer life span and have a better quality of life. Keeping active is especially important when you have an autoimmune for several reasons: exercise boosts physical energy; endorphin production is said to be a natural painkiller and exercise can help reduce inflammation throughout the body, also helping to combat depression and anxiety that also often accompanies Autoimmune disease.
Learn to become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes, you will be able to create great health and happiness. Your outer world, or what you see around you and do, is a direct reflection of your inner mind. If you have peaceful thoughts or a positive outlook on life, your health will be better than if you are chronically stressed, angry or resentful. Scientific research has shown that every thought you think and every feeling and emotion you feel produces molecules, called neuropeptides, which actually change the structure of your brain, and send out messages to every cell in your body. Your mind affects your health through this mind-body connection.
Key Takeaway:
There is no cure for autoimmune disease, however there are steps you can take to manage your autoimmune disease
“Change your mind, change your life” -Wayne W. Dyer
Different autoimmune diseases and how it affects the body (information sourced from https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/autoimmune-diseases)
Type 1 diabetes
The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. The immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
High blood sugar results can lead to damage in the blood vessels, as well as organs like the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the immune system attacks the joints. This attack causes redness, warmth, soreness, and stiffness in the joints..
Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis
Skin cells normally grow and then shed when they’re no longer needed. Psoriasis causes skin cells to multiply too quickly. The extra cells build up and form inflamed red patches, commonly with silver-white scales of plaque on the skin.
Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop swelling, stiffness, and pain in the joints. This form of the disease is called psoriatic arthritis.
Multiple sclerosis
Gradually leads to numbness, weakness, balance issues, and trouble walking. The disease comes in several forms that progress at different rates.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
SLE causes inflammation and other problems of many organs, including the joints, kidneys, brain, and heart, skin and blood.
Joint pain, fatigue, and rashes are the most common symptoms.
Inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term used to describe conditions that cause inflammation in the lining of the intestinal wall. Each type of IBD affects a different part of the GI tract.
Addison’s disease
Addison’s disease affects the adrenal glands, which produce the hormones cortisol and aldosterone as well as androgen hormones. Not having enough cortisol can affect the way the body uses and stores carbohydrates and sugar (glucose). These hormone deficiencies will lead to sodium loss and excess potassium in the bloodstream.
Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, weight loss, and low blood sugar.
Graves’ disease
Graves’ disease attacks the thyroid gland in the neck, causing the overproduction of hormones, that control the body’s metabolism. Symptoms are nervousness, a fast heartbeat, heat intolerance, and weight loss.
.9. Sjögren’s syndrome
This condition attacks the glands that provide lubrication to the eyes and mouth. The hallmark symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome are dry eyes and dry mouth, but it may also affect the joints or skin.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, thyroid hormone production slows to a deficiency. Symptoms include weight gain, sensitivity to cold, fatigue, hair loss, and swelling of the thyroid.
Autoimmune vasculitis
This happens when the immune system attacks blood vessels. Which causes the narrowing of arteries and veins, causing issues with blood flow increasing the risk of blood clots and makes having blood tests more complicated.
Crohn’s Disease
It’s an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition. Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can involve different areas of the digestive tract in different people.
14. Celiac disease
Those who have this disease are unable to eat gluten, minimizing their diets because a lot of foods nowadays has gluten added to them, causing inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract