What is Autoimmune Disease?
Autoimmune disease is a category of disease that is characterized by a person’s immune system attacking its own body. It is a category that includes more than 80 diseases [1], like type I diabetes, Hashimoto’s disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), to name some of the more common ones. However, there are quite a few more conditions that are suspected as having an autoimmune process involved.
Prevalence of Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune conditions appear to be on the rise. In 2002, the National Institute of Health (NIH) reported that autoimmune disease as a category ranked #3 in prevalence behind heart disease and cancer. More recently the NIH has estimated that 23.5 million Americans have an autoimmune disease, moving it to the #1 position, with 22 million people having heart disease and 9 million having cancer. According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc. (AARDA), a more realistic estimate of autoimmune disease prevalence is 50 million [2], since the NIH estimate only includes 24 of the known autoimmune conditions.
The Challenge of Autoimmunity
An autoimmune disease is generally not just a specific condition. Autoimmunity is a process of losing immune tolerance to oneself. If unchecked, it is not uncommon for a person who has one autoimmune condition to develop a second or third, etc. Therefore, appropriate and timely diagnosis is important. Part of the challenge with diagnosing autoimmune conditions is that they can have nonspecific symptoms, and they frequently affect multiple organ systems. This poses a problem with specialties in medicine being system-specific. AARDA states that medical education does not offer much education regarding autoimmune diseases, and they state specialists “are generally unaware of the interrelationships among the different autoimmune diseases or advances in treatment outside their own specialty area.” [3] Even standard naturopathic medical education does not go into the depth needed to fully diagnose and treat the bulk of these conditions. It can take many years for a patient to receive a correct diagnosis.
The Kharrazian Institute – Education for Practitioners
Dr. Datis Kharrazian, PhD, DHSc, DC, MS, MMSc, FACN, is a functional medicine practitioner with expertise in how to diagnose and treat autoimmune conditions. He is passionate about helping his patients, and so in order to help more people, he developed the Kharrazian Institute to educate practitioners. His latest course addresses autoimmune disease in a global way so that practitioners can diagnose these conditions more efficiently.
Dr. Kharrazian on FX Medicine Podcast
Dr. Kharrazian was recently interviewed on FX Medicine, and here are some of the highlights:
- Autoimmune conditions are chronic diseases that are not curable, but with appropriate diagnosis and treatment, it is possible for them to go into remission.
- Autoimmune conditions are complex with multiple triggers and many different mechanisms that can activate the disease.
- Genetics contribute to autoimmune risk, but they do not condemn a person to autoimmune disease inevitability.
- Triggers include pathogens/infections, food sensitivities, chemical exposure, and lifestyle factors
- Every autoimmune patient is unique because each person possesses a unique mix of genetic susceptibility, lifestyle factors, immune-reactivity and pathogen/chemical exposure.
- Drugs can play an important role in getting an autoimmune flare under control, but managing things like diet, exercise, sleep, infections, chemical exposures, etc. are critical to helping a person stay in remission.
Struggling with Chronic Illness in the Greater Seattle area?
I consider Dr. Kharrazian a mentor and have taken all his Kharrazian Institute courses as well as many of his other functional medicine seminars. I like his clinical approach because it is comprehensive, which allows for greater success in finding the root cause of a patient’s problem. In addition, treatment is multifactorial and emphasizes the foundations of health, which are essential but often overlooked. If you are struggling with a chronic disease or have felt unwell with no solid diagnosis after visiting multiple doctors, I would love to work with you to help unravel the web of autoimmunity to achieve wellness.
References
| [1] | “Autoimmune Diseases,” National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2 May 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/autoimmune-diseases. [Accessed 5 12 2019]. |
| [2] | “Autoimmune Disease Statistics,” American Autoimmune Related Disesases Association, [Online]. Available: https://www.aarda.org/NEWS-INFORMATION/STATISTICS/#1488234345468-3bf2d325-1052. [Accessed 5 12 2019]. |
| [3] | “Autoimmune Disease Statistics,” American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, [Online]. Available: https://www.aarda.org/NEWS-INFORMATION/STATISTICS/#1488234345559-44c8ff57-216d. [Accessed 5 12 2019]. |
