Immune disease affects more than 50 million Americans and has become one of the leading causes of death in women under age 65. Generally referred to as autoimmune disorders, these diseases are large in number and go by a variety of names.
Autoimmune diseases are derived from an immune response that causes your body to attack itself due to systemic inflammation. Many people don't realize that rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, and multiple sclerosis are autoimmune disorders. Symptoms of the diseases vary greatly from one individual to the next, and range from mild to severe.
Your immune system is extensively complex. One of its primary functions is to identify and prevent foreign substances from entering your body. Any time it notices a harmful intruder, like bad bacteria, it will produce antibodies and do everything it can to eliminate it.
A poor immune system, of course, leads to poor health. A common condition endured by those with poor immune health is leaky gut, which can cause abdominal discomfort, fatigue, bloating, and more.
Common autoimmune disorders include thyroid disease, Hashimoto's, SIBO, and eczema to name a few.
Understanding autoimmune system diseases is key to staying on top of your health. If you suffer from an autoimmune disorder, treatment is available. Many people alleviate autoimmune disorder symptoms by taking clinically-proven probiotics, along with vitamin supplements.
Quick Answer: Autoimmune conditions occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissue, often driven by systemic inflammation. They include a wide range of named disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, Graves' disease, and type 1 diabetes, and symptoms range from mild to severe. Because a large share of the immune system lives in the gut, gut health is closely tied to immune balance, and gut imbalance (dysbiosis) is linked with many immune issues. This article is educational and is not medical advice; anyone managing an autoimmune condition should work with a qualified healthcare provider. Diet, lifestyle, and probiotics are often discussed as ways to support a balanced immune response.
What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?
Commonly referred to as IBD, inflammatory bowel disease happens when the immune system attacks the intestinal lining. It can cause abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhea, and other digestive symptoms.
Commonly referred to as IBD, inflammatory bowel disease occurs when the immune system turns on itself and attacks the intestinal lining. Symptoms tend to include abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhea, fever, urgent bowel movements, and in some cases, rectal bleeding. Crohn's disease is a form of IBD and is often medically treated using immune-suppressing medications.
What Is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy thyroid tissue. Because most of the immune system sits in the gut, gut balance is often part of the broader picture.
You might think your immune system has nothing to do with your thyroid, but it does. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy body tissue. During the attack, it kills thyroid cells. Symptoms of the disease typically vary greatly and range from those commonly associated with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
There are no known causes for Hashimoto's disease, but it has been noted as a disease that sometimes occurs in women who have recently been pregnant due to increased activity in their immune systems. Certain chronic infections can cause Hashimoto's disease as well, including HHV6 and Epstein Barr. Balancing the immune system is key to treating Hashimoto's disease, and with most of the immune system in the gut, it makes sense to follow a diet and take probiotics that decrease intestinal inflammation.
Furthermore, it's imperative to get checked for a selenium deficiency and take appropriate supplements as this deficiency has been linked to the onset of Hashimoto's disease.
What Is Multiple Sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks nerve cells. It can cause weakness, muscle spasms, and pain, and management is directed by a medical professional.
People suffering from multiple sclerosis endure painful symptoms, including extreme weakness, muscle spasms, and severe pain. There are a variety of treatment methods available to treat this disease. Treatment methods aim to suppress the immune system to prevent it from attacking nerve cells. This improves immune health and reduces multiple sclerosis symptoms.
What Is Graves' Disease?
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the thyroid releases too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism). Noticeable signs can include bulging eyes, weight loss, nervousness, and irritability.
When the immune system triggers the thyroid to release too much thyroid hormone, this results in hyperthyroidism, also commonly referred to as Graves' disease. Symptoms of this autoimmune disorder are extremely noticeable and can lead to major lifestyle disruptions. Symptoms include brittle hair, bulging eyes, nervousness, extreme weight loss, severe irritability, and more. The disease is commonly treated by removing a portion or all of the thyroid gland.
A physician will usually recommend avoiding wind and bright lights to Graves’ patients who suffer from bulging eyes. Using lubricant drops is advised as well. When symptoms are severe, corticosteroids are usually prescribed to reduce the swelling that takes place behind the eyeball.
What Is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It affects more than a million Americans and is managed under medical care.
More than one million Americans, including adults and children, have type 1 diabetes. With type 1 diabetes, antibodies produced by the immune system attack insulin-producing cells found in the pancreas and treatment usually requires insulin injections.
How Are Autoimmune Disorders Linked to Digestive Discomfort?
Autoimmune disorders are frequently accompanied by digestive discomforts like gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Treatments such as antibiotics and steroids can also disrupt gut bacteria and lead to dysbiosis.
A multitude of digestive discomforts often accompany autoimmune disorders, including gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and more.
Many autoimmune disorders, once medically diagnosed, are treated with antibiotics and steroids that affect your gut flora and can cause dysbiosis. What is dysbiosis? Well, your body is full of colonies of harmless bacteria known as microbiota. Most of these bacteria have a positive effect on your health and contribute to your body’s natural processes. But when these bacterial colonies are out of balance, it can lead to dysbiosis. Dysbiosis typically occurs when the bacteria in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract becomes imbalanced. Effects of dysbiosis, including stomach upset, are typically temporary and mild, and can easily be alleviated with a probiotic clinically-proven to stay stable during the presence of antibiotics.
How Is Leaky Gut Connected to Immune Health?
Up to 80% of the immune system resides in the gut, so gut health and immune health are tightly connected. When the gut barrier becomes more permeable, substances can pass into the bloodstream that the body would normally keep out.
Up to 80% of your immune system is in your gut, and up to 95% of your body's serotonin is produced here as well. The healthier your gut, the healthier and happier you'll be. Leaky gut, however, is an autoimmune disorder that can present a vast array of health problems, especially when left ignored or untreated.
Your gut is responsible for letting good bacteria through and keeping bad bacteria out. Your entire lifestyle impacts your gut's permeability. When you eat genetically-modified foods (GMOs), endure high levels of stress, and don't exercise regularly, your chances of intestinal permeability increases, which allows toxins to leak where they don't belong -- right through your intestinal wall and straight into your bloodstream. Once in your bloodstream, they catch a ride to your major organs.
Healing leaky gut starts with making a few lifestyle changes. Following a non-GMO, gluten-free, organic diet is highly recommended. Supplementing your diet with probiotics that contain the patented strain called Bacillus Indicus HU36 is an effective way to heal leaky gut. Additionally, intermittent fasting - followed by sticking to a strict diet - and taking a daily probiotic is an excellent way to support the healing of leaky gut quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Immune System and Autoimmune Disorders
What is an autoimmune disorder?
An autoimmune disorder occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy tissue, often connected to systemic inflammation. Examples include inflammatory bowel disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, Graves' disease, and type 1 diabetes.
How is the gut connected to the immune system?
A large share of the immune system, up to roughly 80%, lives in the gut, so gut balance and immune balance are closely linked. An imbalanced gut microbiome (dysbiosis) is associated with disrupted immune function.
What is dysbiosis?
Dysbiosis is an imbalance among the bacterial colonies in your gastrointestinal tract. It can follow treatments like antibiotics or steroids, and effects such as stomach upset are often temporary and mild.
Can probiotics help support immune health?
Because so much of the immune system is in the gut, probiotics are often discussed as a way to support a balanced gut microbiome and immune response. Anyone managing a diagnosed condition should work with a qualified healthcare provider rather than self-treating.
Is leaky gut a recognized medical condition?
Increased intestinal permeability, often called leaky gut, is not formally classified as a medical diagnosis, though many practitioners recognize it as a real concern. This article is educational and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Conclusion
Autoimmune diseases can be overwhelming and confusing, especially if you suffer from leaky gut because it is not yet deemed as a medical condition. Many physicians, however, recognize it as being a true concern for Americans and recommend the use of clinically-proven probiotics and a strict diet.
