How to treat autoimmune diseases?
The Response of Modern Medicine
The immune system, which is a complex network of specialized organs, cells and cell products, is continually making antibodies to help rid the body of substances it sees as "non-self," such as bacteria, viruses, infectious agents and even "worn out," damaged or mutant cells. When the immune system identifies an infection or allergen, it produces antibodies against the offending organism or substance so it can be eliminated from the body. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system fails to distinguish between "self" and "nonself," and thus attacks the body's own vital organs, systems, cells and tissues.The list of autoimmune diseases is both long and disturbing. In treating these diseases, modern medical practitioners focus on relieving the symptoms and slowing the progression of the diseases. The main allopathic treatment used for most autoimmune conditions is Prednisone (steroids). This approach, at best, can just slow the progression of the disease. Used long-term, Prednisone can cause a host of problems, including osteoporosis, immune suppression, weight gain, bloating, thin skin, easy bruising and many other troubling side effects. Prednisone is used because it helps control symptoms; but it does not address the etiology of the underlying condition.
The Natural Medicine Approach to Autoimmune Diseases
In caring for patients, natural medicine practitioners look for the cause of the problem and recommend therapies that address the source of the disease. This involves giving the body what's missing and removing what's harmful.Since autoimmune diseases are caused by autoantibodies, the question we ask is, "Why is this person making these antibodies?" Most experts in the natural medicine field believe that many of these autoantibodies are produced by the body in response to an infection or allergen. When the offending infection(s) or allergen(s) are removed, the production of these destructive autoantibodies stops.
To help the body stop producing autoantibodies, patients are placed on allergy elimination diets. The offending foods are avoided for three months. At that time, read more
