Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders that occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissue in the body. These conditions can affect any part of the body and can cause a wide range of symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, skin rashes, and digestive problems.
Autoimmune diseases are a growing problem worldwide, affecting millions of people and causing significant morbidity. Conventional medicine usually treats autoimmune diseases with pharmaceuticals and immunosuppressive drugs, which, while often helpful, can have harmful side effects and only address the symptoms of the disease.
Nutritional Therapy and Functional Medicine provide a complementary approach to supporting autoimmune diseases by focusing on personalised, person-centred healthcare that identifies and addresses the underlying causes of disease rather than just treating symptoms.
In the case of autoimmune diseases, functional medicine recognises that the immune system plays a crucial role in the development of these conditions and seeks to identify and address imbalances in the immune system, as well as other systems in the body that may be contributing to the disease.
Some common autoimmune diseases include: