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Autoimmune disorders |
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Lipid abnormalities |
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Autoimmune disorders involve an overactive immune system which attacks the body’s own tissues. The immune system is supposed to attack invaders like viruses and bacteria to protect the body. In autoimmune diseases, the substances produced by the immune system to attack invaders attack and destroy parts of the body. This may occur because the immune system gets confused, because the attacking invader makes substances that intentionally confuse the immune system, or because the invader mimics cells of the body to protect itself from destruction.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, autoimmune disorders affect ~ 15 million Americans, mostly women. The immune system might attack the skin, the nervous system, the joints, or other organs. Examples of these disorders include rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes (the pancreas is attacked), multiple sclerosis, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, Crohn’s disease (intestine destruction) and others. It is possible that the autoimmune disorder is merely a manifestation of the body fighting an unknown invasion. Were we to discover the invading organism, we would find some type of “antibiotic” that will kill the organisms and stop the hyperactive immune system. This is probably the case with Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and many other conditions.
Hyperactive or auto-immune disorders are difficult to diagnose. Symptoms come and go and include nausea, fever, fatigue, skin lesions, and swelling of the joints. There is no known effective treatment; people can only treat the symptoms of the disease. Some doctors misdiagnose or do not believe the patient’s complaints. Often the patient is improperly accused of psychosomatic disorders or making up a disease and is referred to psychiatric or psychological therapy.
The situation is similar to the old approach to gastric ulcers. For years, health providers used to think that gastric ulcers were caused by stress or related psychological issues. The treatment involved anti acids and psychological treatment. Sometimes the treatment worked; sometimes it did not. Sometimes people got better alone. This situation baffled doctors and reinforced their view that the disease was psychosomatic (no real anatomic-physiological basis). Recently it was discovered that gastric ulcers are caused by a bacteria. Treating the bacteria with the proper antibiotic cures the disease. Stress and psychological issues play a minor role in the cause (etiology) and the treatment. We may soon discover an infectious origin (cause) for many auto-immune disorders.
Current research is focusing on the link between these diseases: the immune system and what makes it overreact. Hypotheses include female hormones (such as estrogen) or the menstrual cycle; inflammation from agents such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, medication, stress; or even the “hygiene hypothesis”: immune systems which are not exposed to as many bacteria (because spaces are cleaned with antibacterial products) can be oversensitive to some triggering agent.
According to Dr. Siguel, there are effective treatments based on altering the factors that make the immune system hyperactive. After a fatty acid profile, a patient is asked to change his intake of nutrients and fat to down-regulate (reduce) the activity of the immune system. This is a highly complex approach that requires expertise with fatty acid measurement and optimal doses. Do not confuse it with simple recommendations to eat more supplements hoping that some patients will get it right.
References
Villarosa, L. Baffling Disorders often stem from Immune
System Failure. The New York Times.
American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association: www.aarda.org, (800) 598-4668, (810) 776-3900
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© 1998-2001 Edward Siguel. All rights reserved |
modified 1/15/04 |