How are Autoimmune Diseases connected?
How are Autoimmune Diseases connected?
‘Autoimmune conditions are connected by one central biochemical process: A runaway immune response also known as systemic inflammation that results in your body attacking its own tissues.’ Dr Mark Hyman
Why does our immune system attack its own body?
A few years after I was diagnosed and my medication had started to make me feel well again, I decided to look at my life and think about what could have been causing the issues I was facing. Why did the inflammation exist in the first place? Why did my body attack itself?
I thought that if I could identify the issue then perhaps I could calm my body down so that it could start to heal. Having read many books I soon learnt that the underlying causes can vary. Stress was a key component and I did have a stressful job. I could also tick the food allergies/sensitivities box! I knew I was naturally deficient in some nutrients, and nutrient deficiency was also on the list. As was hidden infections, toxins, genetic predisposition and leaky gut.
Once I found some of my triggers I started to look at my life and how I lived and made subtle gradual changes to see if they helped me. They did, and today I live an active healthy life. I still have flares and the last year hasn’t been easy for our family and so several flares have occurred for me, but I also know what I can do to try and calm them down and heal myself so they don’t get as out of control as they used to.
Without my Doctor, I wouldn’t have been diagnosed, and this diagnosis changed my path completely. It set me out on the career that I am now on and I wouldn’t change that at all. The changes I made though, enabled me to start to heal and this was the change that was required as I looked at the causes and how I could make lasting real changes.
I hope you have enjoyed this information. Until next time!
Emma Alexander-Cook.