Autoimmune Q & A

What causes autoimmune conditions?

Autoimmune conditions occur when your body’s immune system begins to attack healthy tissues inside your body. This occurs due to a malfunction in your immune system that causes it to identify normal body tissues as invaders, similar to a bacteria or virus.

In many cases, it’s difficult to identify the exact cause of an autoimmune condition. Some are related to a family history or certain ethnic heritages such as being African-American, Hispanic, or Native American. Most autoimmune conditions primarily affect women.

The initial signs of an autoimmune condition include inflammation, swelling, and pain. This can be accompanied by fatigue, muscle aches, and a low fever. Autoimmune conditions also tend to flare up and then go into remission without warning.

What are common types of autoimmune conditions?

There are over 100 types of autoimmune conditions. Some of the most common types include:

• Lupus

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Sjögren’s syndrome

• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

• Fibromyalgia

• Ankylosing spondylitis

• Alopecia

These autoimmune conditions all present with many overlapping symptoms, so it can be difficult to get a diagnosis. With functional lab testing from the LIFEstrength Health Center practitioners, you can get the answers and solutions you need.

How are autoimmune conditions diagnosed?

Autoimmune conditions are diagnosed based on a complete series of functional lab tests. Most traditional testing only looks at a few factors like limited thyroid panels, basic blood cell counts, and general hormone levels. Functional lab work goes further to look at the precursors and end products of these factors to determine where you’re having issues.

With traditional blood work, your tests may come back normal or may be slightly elevated or decreased. Functional testing looks for areas that are compensating for abnormalities caused by autoimmune conditions that may not show up in traditional blood tests.

Based on the analysis of your functional lab work, your doctor can pinpoint the specific cause of your condition and provide options to improve your health.

How are autoimmune conditions treated?

Autoimmune conditions are treated on a personal level based on your functional lab work. Treatment may incorporate healing infections like leaky gut syndrome and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), decreasing inflammation through diet and nutritional supplements, and supporting your organs and hormones to function optimally.

Your program may incorporate dietary changes, supplements, stress management, gentle exercise, and rest. Your practitioners provide you with resources and strategies to incorporate these changes into your lifestyle easily and naturally.

Do you want help with your symptoms? Reach out to LIFEstrength Health Center by calling the office at 239-774-5433 or scheduling an appointment through email at Staff@LIFEstrengthHealthCenter.com.