Do you know that nearly 20 million Americans suffer from a type of autoimmune disease? This means that nearly eight percent of the American population and almost 4 percent of the world’s population fight autoimmune diseases. We might reach epidemic levels at this rate since there are almost 100 different types of autoimmune diseases.
Too often, people are diagnosed with an autoimmune disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis by our autoimmune specialist in Houston, TX, Dr. Shezi Kirmani, when the diseases are full-blown. But, did you know that through holistic medicine in Houston, we could catch these diseases months or even years sooner, and in most scenarios, they could be reversed or slowed down. But, there is still hope since you can seek autoimmune disease treatment near you.
As you know, autoimmune diseases happen when your immune system gets confused and then starts attacking your cells. In other words, your immune system views your cells as a pathogen and makes it a priority to attack the “invader.” When this happens, you will start exhibiting certain symptoms and eventually have an autoimmune disease.
Here are some of the common autoimmune diseases based on the areas that are affected:
Autoimmune Diseases That Affect Your Blood
Hemolytic Anemia
With hemolytic anemia, your immune system will destroy your red blood cells, causing you to have oxygen deficiency. If this happens, you will have the following symptoms:
- Cold hands or feet
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Cardiovascular issues
- Yellow eyes or skin
Autoimmune Diseases That Affect Hormones
Type 1 Diabetes
With this autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is the hormone that is responsible for controlling blood sugar levels in your body. If there is a problem with insulin, your blood sugar levels remain high and will cause the following symptoms:
- Dry skin
- Fatigue
- Thirst
- Hunger
- Numbness
- Slow wound healing
- Unintentional weight loss
- Blurry vision
Graves’ Disease
Graves’ disease is characterized by a hyperactive thyroid gland, causing it to overproduce the thyroid hormone, which causes the following symptoms:
- Insomnia
- Muscle weakness
- Heat sensitivity
- Sweating
- Irritability
- Bulging eyes
- Light menstrual periods
- Weight loss
- Racing heartbeat
- Shaky hands
- Fine or brittle hair
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Unlike Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis happens when the thyroid gland produces less thyroid hormone. Low thyroid levels in the body cause the following symptoms:
- Facial swelling
- Constipation
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Stiff joints
- Sensitivity to cold
- Hair loss
Autoimmune Diseases That Affect the Connective Tissue and Skin
Non-Segmental Vitiligo
This is a chronic skin condition that results in the skin losing its color due to the immune system attacking the cells that produce melanin. Symptoms may include:
- Gray or white hair on the brows, scalp, or eyelashes
- Light or white patches of skin on the feet, hands, face, and arms
- Discoloration on the inside of the nose and mouth
Scleroderma
Scleroderma is also an autoimmune disease that affects the connective tissue in the blood vessels and skin. It causes abnormal growth that leads to the hardening and thickening of the skin. Symptoms may be mild to severe, which can affect the internal organs. Symptoms include:
- Raynaud’s phenomenon
- Ulcers on the fingertips
- Loss of motility in the esophagus
- Calcium deposits in your connective tissues
Autoimmune Diseases That Affect Your Digestive System
Celiac Disease
It occurs when the immune system mistakenly reacts to gluten, a common protein found in bread, barley, and pasta. You will experience symptoms such as:
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Bloating and pain
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
IBD or inflammatory bowel disease causes chronic inflammation of your gut and causes the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Mouth ulcers
- Abdominal pain
- Difficult bowel movements
- Fatigue
Autoimmune Diseases That Affect Your Nervous System
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
When you have MS, your immune system attacks the myelin sheath, which protects your nerves. In turn, this affects the transmission of information from and to your brain, spinal cord, and the nerves connected to them.
You might experience:
- Paralysis
- Weakness in the extremities
- Vision loss
- Numbness or tingling
- Tremors
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
When you have Guillain-Barre syndrome, your immune system will mistakenly attack healthy nerves. It causes the following symptoms:
- Vision problems
- Chronic pain
- Lack of bladder control
- Tingling in the hands and feet
- Difficulty swallowing and chewing
Worthy Mentions
Rheumatoid Arthritis
This is a common autoimmune disease that affects the lining of your joints and causes discomfort and inflammation. You can experience symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Weakness
- Joint stiffness, especially in the morning
- Aching joints
Lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus is characterized by the immune system attacking healthy tissue in the body, including joints, skin, brain, kidneys, and other organs. It can cause the following symptoms:
- Brain fog
- Joint pain
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Muscle pain
Sjögren’s Syndrome
Sjögren’s syndrome occurs when your immune system attacks the glands that produce tears and saliva; that’s why the hallmark symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth. The disease commonly occurs as a secondary complication of another autoimmune disease.
As you may know by now, holistic medicine is the best chance you have to improve your life quality. So, contact our holistic doctors in Houston, Texas, at My Pure MD, for autoimmune disease treatment near you.