Autoimmune Conditions
Autoimmune disease is a silent epidemic that affects approximately five per cent of Australians, with numbers steadily growing each year.
Autoimmune diseases are a group of incredibly diverse conditions that have one important factor in common: they are all driven by a confused immune system that identifies the body’s own tissues as a foreign invader and launches a defensive inflammatory attack to try and neutralise the ‘threat’.
Unfortunately, when this occurs we become the victims and instead of protecting the body, the immune system can actually cause significant damage. It really is sabotage from within.
What causes autoimmunity is one of modern medicine’s most intriguing questions. Although we know that the autoimmune process is triggered and perpetuated by a complex interaction between genes, environment, and hormones, we have few definitive answers.
Natural medicine has a lot to offer people with autoimmune disease. Specialised dietary protocols helps to modulate inflammation and rebalance gut microbiome, which in turn can support healthier immune function. Specific nutrients are used to modulate the immune system, dampen inflammation, protect tissues and reduce pain. We also have herbs that can help to manage the symptoms of autoimmunity, dampen inflammation and limit damage caused by autoimmune flare ups.
There are as many as 80 distinctly separate autoimmune diseases, including:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Lupus
- Hashimoto’s disease
- Graves disease
- Type I Diabetes
- Scleroderma
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Coeliac disease
If you have an autoimmune condition, or a strong family history of autoimmune disease and would like advice on how to reduce your risk of developing one yourself, please contact the clinic for an appointment.