9 Signs You Have an Autoimmune Disorder & What to Do About It

Tired, bloated, or even irritable – constantly?

Do you have nagging joint pain or a sensitive stomach seemingly out of nowhere?

You might have an autoimmune disease.

When the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy tissue and organs, it causes systemic inflammation. Worldwide, the number of people suffering from the disorder is rocketing.

Approximately 50 million people are afflicted in the U.S. with a vast majority of sufferers being women.

There are many types of autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, lyme disease, celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, lupus, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease to name the more prevalent.

The conventional treatment for most disorders is the prescription of anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, or in some cases immunosuppressants. These drug treatments offer short term relief, but treat only the symptoms rather than the cause of the sickness.

Not too mention, many of the medications prescribed increase the risks of cancer and severe infections in the long term.

9 Signs You Have Autoimmune Disease

The thyroid, brain, kidneys, eyes, and mouth are affected when the immune system attacks the body. Many symptoms are confusing or vague, often overlapping with each other, which makes diagnosis tricky.

These are the nine chronic symptoms to identify that may help you to get to the bottom of your condition:

#1. Sudden Unexplained Weight Loss

This is one of the most common signs of autoimmune distress, pointing to a host of disorders such as lupus, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and Grave’s disease among others.

#2. Abdominal Pain or Digestion Trouble

Stomach pain with soreness, poor digestion, blood or discoloration in stool or urine, may also indicate an exaggerated immune response. Constipation, gastroesophageal reflux, diarrhoea, and bleeding may accompany stomach cramps and poor digestion.

Now, let’s keep in mind the act of eating is actually quite stressful on the body; if you aren’t producing adequate amounts of digestive enzymes during the process, you will experience some level of discomfort – I implore you to try digestive enzymes prior to assuming you have an autoimmune disorder; unless of course you are in fact seeing blood in your urine or stool in which case you should high-tail it to the nearest hospital!

#3. Weight Gain

Sudden or unexplained weight gain and tiredness could be symptoms of disorders such as hepatitis and celiac disease. An overactive immune system can also lead to hypothyroidism or an under-active thyroid gland, slowing down your metabolism and causing weight gain and fatigue.

#4 Severe Fatigue

Too tired to perform normal daily activities – even after a full nights rest? You may be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, which is a major symptom of autoimmune disorders. There are no tests for CFS. Because of this, many people are guided to believe their condition or severe fatigue is nothing more than mental.

If this sounds like you, I would suggest trying SAM-e. There seems to be a correlation between autoimmune disease and impeded liver function. Upon suggesting SAM-e most people report near immediate increases in energy, reduced joint pain and overwhelming joy.

#5. Sore Muscles and Joint Pain

Painful joints and sore muscles are indicators of the disorder, typically rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia. You may experience tenderness and stiffness in affected areas. Pain may also be temporary, sharp or recurring. A skin rash may be noticed in the painful area.

Common “fibro” spots are the shoulders, delts, hips, sides of your thighs, and where the skull connects to the neck. If you’re outdoorsy and have been bitten by mosquitos, ticks, spiders or fleas, get a lyme disease test immediately. If you come up negative the first time, request a second test using only the Western Blot 188 & 189 via Igenex. More on this later. 

These are the 7 reasons physiotherapy is ideal for your joint and muscle pain.

#6. Poor Mental Function

If you have depression or poor mental concentration, your immune system may be the problem. Mental fatigue and irritability may be associated with disorders such as multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis.

#7. Skin Problems

Certain foods, weather conditions, and sun sensitivity can trigger immune system problems, causing hives, rashes, and other skin conditions. Porphyria for an example results in the skin becoming cracked and scarred in a very short space of time.

#8. Dryness

Some disorders dry out the skin, eyes, mouth and vagina. In Jögren’s syndrome, the immune system attacks the salivary and tear glands, resulting in dry eyes and mouth. Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus can also result in dry eyes

#9. Numbness

A loss of feeling or tingling sensations in the hands or feet, or any other part of the body, could be the sign of an overactive immune system. You may also experience tremors and muscle weakness.

Steps to Reverse Symptoms

You should try the functional approach if traditional doctors are not helping you. Functional medical doctors are trained to find the cause of your condition, unlike traditional doctors who tend treat just the symptoms.

A functional medical doctor focuses on determining the underlying cause of inflammation, which could be anything from stress, diet, food sensitivities, and leaky gut, to nutrient deficiencies, heavy metals, and toxic exposure.

There is also a genetic component to some types of autoimmune diseases, but this does not mean they cannot be treated. By working with a functional medical doctor and establishing your family medical history, your road to recovery can begin. The following steps below could help you get to the root cause of your disease and give a head start living free of symptoms:

Reverse Your Autoimmune Disorder
Reduce Stress & Anxiety Levels - Stress intensifies the immune response. Practice calming techniques including deep breathing, yoga, massage, and meditation. Listening to soothing music melts away stress and improves concentration. Depending on your disorder, aromatherapy is another great way to reduce stress.
Ensure Digestive System Is Functioning Well - If you have a leaky gut, your immune system will get activated and view foods, toxins, and bugs in your gut as threats. You can heal your gut by eating whole foods and by staying away from processed food.
Check For Infections - These include yeast, parasites, viruses, bacteria, and Lyme. Work with a functional medicine practitioner to identify and eliminate these infections. Mycotoxins from moulds, Candida, Epstein-Barr, and the herpes simplex virus are among the infections that result in an antibody response by the body.
Test For Food Intolerances - Food allergies can cause chronic inflammation. A food allergy test could reveal the offending food allergens. Food intolerance, particularly gluten intolerance, can trigger an aggressive immune reaction, damaging the small intestinal lining.
Eat Natural, Unprocessed Whole Foods - They are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds. Foods rich in beneficial fats include fish, avocado, nuts, and olive oil. Colourful fruits and dark green, leafy vegetables are high in polyphenols. Include herbs and spices such as Turmeric, ginger, and rosemary in your diet daily. Eliminate refined oils, including corn and sunflower oils.
Pamper Your Body - Take good physical care of yourself. Many skin disorders, such as psoriasis worsen if the skin is allowed to dry up. Apply generous amounts of lotion on dry skin or use a high protection factor sunscreen when out in the sun. Alternatively wear suitable clothing to prevent a skin flare up.
Test For Specific Diseases - Ask your doctor to test for celiac Disease, Crohn’s disease, and Jögren’s syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease. These diseases can respond favourably to changes in your diet. Wheat tolerance is often the implicated in inflammatory bowel disease.
Boost Your Immune System - Strengthen your immune system by taking supplements that include fish oil, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C, and probiotics. Fish oil supplements are known to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
Get Sunshine - Increase your uptake of vitamin D aka the Sunshine Hormone. The vitamin is useful to treating many conditions including multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and lupus.
Eat Probiotic Rich Foods - Fermented foods like yogurt, kombucha and kimchi are great source of probiotics and can help stabilize your immune response naturally. Meal replacements are specially formulated and aid in supporting your immune system.
Perform Full Body Detox - Detox your body of heavy metal toxicity. Mercury and other metals such as silver, gold, lead, aluminium, cadmium, can induce autoimmunity. Metal toxicity kills off gut flora, triggering an immune response.
Get Active - Inactivity can increase stress and anxiety, aggravating the immune response. You don’t have to rush to gym. Go for short, slow walks, or do gardening. Take your dog for a walk. Play Frisbee in the park with your kids and friends. If you can, try activities like swimming. These are effective ways to reduce stress and to relieve symptoms.
Get Your Sleep Without Exception - Lack of sleep or poor sleep causes sugar cravings, which worsen symptoms. The lack of adequate sleep puts you at risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Sleeping well is vital for your health and reversing inflammation.

A clear relationship exists between environmental factors and a diet high in refined starches, sugar, saturated fats, and trans-fats and inflammatory immune disorders. Improve the condition of your immune system by avoiding a western diet and increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables, and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

By making informed decisions you can do to get back to good health. Your specific type of autoimmune disorder may prove challenging but with the correct doctor and a plan to find the right trigger, you can improve your health and quality of life in the long term.

Health by choice, not by chance.

-David