Posts Tagged ‘autoimmune’

The real help for MS may be outside the medical model. Medical advances to deal with the condition hasn’t dramatically improved. The medical way is to focus is on high potency drugs. However, just like any of the other so called chronic conditions get ready for one drug after another. So the treatments of choice will be pharmaceuticals. For Multiple Scleroses this means profits for the pharmaceutical industry, and a suffering patient.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and often disabling condition, which attacks the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild or severe, and come or go. The current thinking is that MS is a chronic condition and the only thing a patient can do is find relief.

According to most sources multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are when the body’s immune systems which normally attacks substances foreign to the body such as bacteria mistakenly attacks normal tissue. In MS, the immune system is attacking components of the central nervous system such as the brain and spinal cord along with the optic nerves

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a medical mystery with a few theories on how it develops. It isn’t always easy to diagnose since symptoms can be very mild and transient.  To the medical community this condition like many others is in need of pharmaceuticals.

Medical Solutions

Treating MS follows the trend in managing chronic conditions by using a wide variety of medications to reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms. When one medication stops working they look for another drug.

The strategy is to modify the course of the disease (slow it down) treat exacerbations (flare-ups) manage symptoms, improve function. These treatments are symptom control and this is what drives the advances in modern medicine.

The drugs such as Avonex®, Betaseron®, Copaxone®, Extavia®, Gilenya®, Rebif®, and Novatron® come with the hopes that they can reduce disease activity and progression.

The list of possible side effects: depression, anemia, liver abnormalities, allergic reaction, flu like symptoms, anxiety, palpitations, and even chest pains. Some are short lived side effects, and some aren’t common ones. The real problem is the longer you are on them and the more combinations you take the bigger the danger. The documented effectiveness of these drugs isn’t very strong.

Real Answers!

Studies shows that living closer to the equator reduces MS risk. This fits in with research that suggests vitamin D from sun exposure may be protective against MS.  Vitamin deficiencies  play a part in this condition. Just about every chronic condition, which develops comes from inside. The promise of science hasn’t been realized unless you think high dosage medicine is the answer to all health problems.

The one treatment in the medical and pharmaceutical models not used is diet. This has the most implications to both relieve and reverse most of the symptoms. There has been a lack of monitoring diet by the medical community, not just because of ignorance and arrogance, but because this condition can abate and relapse on its own. Most people have to see for themselves what the active ingredients in plant foods can do to. A healthy way of eating is the prototype for any treatment options.

Diet Control

Multiple sclerosis responds to both diet and an exercise programs. The relief from diet and different exercise programs has been chronicled. The appropriate testing comes from the patients who have not just slowed the disease, but reversed much of the condition. In 1948 a Dr. Roy Swank created the first known MS diet. This diet is high in vegetables, fruits and nuts while eliminating saturated fats. To understand this you need a bigger view of this condition. Just about all condition are an inside out occurrence. Specific needs aren’t being met for your body to function properly.

There are thousands of patients that went into remission, and had lesions that decreased in size. The type of exercise is usually light: incorporating yoga and stretching exercises. This helps muscles flexibility and will lessen the chance of becoming stiff or developing atrophy.

There are other diets that include gluten and casein free ones. Flavonoids seem to offer some help and so does food allergy testing.  The notion that dug safety is a safe bet is fading. The future outlook is going to show that one stop answers that come from pharmaceuticals will raise more concerns than answer any questions.

The third largest category of illness in the industrialized world behind heart disease and cancer is autoimmune disorders. The tremendous rise in autoimmune diseases of all types has been alarming.

RESEARCH

The focus of increased research funding, will bring more pharmaceuticals to market.  As of now there are no therapies that are anything more than band-aids. Yet, there are studies that have shown the connection of these conditions to diet, and environmental factors. Studies have shown that Greenland Eskimos were free of autoimmune disorders. When they changed their diet to the standard American way of eating they have the same high incidence of these disorders.

ENVIORNMENT

The connection to environmental factors, seem to be of little interest to the pharmaceutical mentality of modern medicine. The truth, there is a connection between all chronic conditions and diet. Autoimmune disorders are no exception. However, some of the autoimmune disorders have a correlation to the environmental toxins that’s not so straightforward.

DIET

The connection between Omega-3 fatty acid consumption is known. When there is diet modifications there are improvements, and a regression of both symptoms, and disease markers. When people switch to a diet low in omega-6 fats and more omega-3 oils, and add powerful antioxidants from the cruciferous vegetable family, there are improvements in the condition. The American diet is high in Omega-6 fatty acids.

It is known that cruciferous vegetables help with estrogen levels. The vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, and cabbage are part of the supper food group. Our diet of processed food does not meet our nutritional needs. This is one of the reasons you can look to nutrition when trying to heal. Help for autoimmune disorders are not going to be found at the pharmacy.

CAUSES

The secret causes of autoimmune disorder development is known, it is not the mystery that western medicine claims. These are environmental triggers, which will bring about the symptoms in some people exposed to them. The culprits are viruses, pesticides, mercury, and chemicals. There are at least 24 million people affected. It is about 3 times more prevalent in women. That is the precise reason that cruciferous vegetables help. The role of estrogen can’t be emphasized enough.

ESTROGEN CONNECTION

Women of childbearing age and those that take estrogen replacement therapy are where you see the development of some of the conditions that are called autoimmune disease. Estrogen plays a role in the development of lupus. Estrogen is known to activate the immune system, and this system plays the main role in autoimmune disorders. There may be a genetic predisposition; however diet changes such as cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, and cauliflower affect estrogen metabolism. It is possible for women with rheumatoid autoimmune disorders such as arthritis, hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lupus, and rosacea to find relief by balancing their hormones with progesterone.

It seems that excessive estrogen is a precursor to autoimmune disorders in those prone to the condition. Progesterone functions as a precursor of corticosteroids. Doctors prescribe cortisone type drugs to alleviate symptoms. Prednisone is known for some horrendous side effects.  Women with lupus have shown reduced levels of progesterone. Women who use hormone replacement therapy containing estrogen may have a higher risk of developing lupus.

INFLAMMATION

Estrogen increases the inflammation response. It does not take rocket science to see if 75 percent of women develop autoimmune conditions, there is a hormone connection. Taking prednisone, which is an immune suppressor, is not the answer in the long run. Infections are implicated as an autoimmune trigger. Autoimmune diseases are the fourth largest cause of disability for American women.

MEDICAL COSTS

It is estimated that autoimmune diseases cost close to $90 billion per year. One of the reasons is autoimmune conditions are handled by different medical specialties. A patient may see a rheumatologist, endocrinologist, hematologist, neurologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, and dermatologist. They can cross refer till the cows come home, and not have an answer to the underlining causes, and most effective non toxic treatment. 

INCIDENCE

The incidence of autoimmune disease has tripled in the last few decades. Hint some thing is causing it, there are not triple the number of people with a genetic predisposition. The list of autoimmune disorders keeps growing. There are ones that are common like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, type-1 diabetes, and psoriasis.  The autoimmune diseases can affect the nervous system, joint and muscles, skin, endocrine, and heart. Not much is left out. It appears that the exposure to environmental toxins contribute to ill health. It is not an enormous stretch to see that these conditions will have the same connection.

The amounts of chemicals that are circulating, both in our environment and our bodies, are astronomical. From flame-retardants, dioxins, toxic metals, and yes even Teflon. We are exposed to estrogen and estrogen-like substances from many sources. Our foods contain pesticides; some have an estrogen like structure. Estrogen impostors also come from the petrochemical end, in the form of plastics.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Conventional medicine does not take into account environmental activators; instead they look to pharmaceutical solutions. What they do is try to block the inflammatory response, by deregulating the immune response. Now they increased the risk of cancer and infections. The medications not only have severe side effects, but do not address the cause.

CONCLUSSION

Mercury overload, environment toxins, allergens, poor diet, stress, and a leaky gut can all contribute to autoimmune conditions. Celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction to wheat and gluten containing grains. The shortage of essential fats in our diet contributes to a host of conditions. Detoxification through natural means is known to help many of the conditions listed under the umbrella heading of autoimmune disease. In the past decade some of the top medical journals have reported rising rates of lupus, multiple sclerosis, scleroderma, inflammatory conditions of the intestines, and type 1 diabetes. “Exposures from our environment are a significant contributor to today’s rising rates” says Douglas Kerr, director of the John Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center and a top clinician at the John Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis center.  The researches at the University Of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, have reported that celiac disease is four times as common as it was 50 years ago.

It is time to start looking in the right directions for answers, the storm is brewing and our standard medical system is giving it wind power. When the nation turns its attention to natural solutions, we will find real world solutions for our personal health and our planet.

Disease is the wrong diagnosis, the ramifications of this are enormous. The fact is your life depends on getting this right. From my prospective this is a crucial, our healthcare is based on the wrong prospective. If the foundation of the belief is wrong, then what you do based on that belief will be wrong.

This is the definition from Wikipedia

“A disease or medical condition is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily A functions, associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as invading organisms, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases.”

“In human beings, “disease” is often used more broadly to refer to any condition that causes pain, dysfunction, distress, social problems, and/or death to the person afflicted, or similar problems for those in contact with the person. In this broader sense, it sometimes includes injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections, isolated symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts and for other purposes these may be considered distinguishable categories.”

“Obesity was a status symbol in renaissance culture: “The Tuscan General Alessandro del Borro”, attributed to Charles Mellin, 1645. It is now generally regarded as a disease. “

“A condition may be considered to be a disease in some cultures or eras but not in others. Conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity are considered to be diseases by developed countries, but which have been regarded differently in other cultures. For example, obesity can also represent wealth and abundance, and is a status symbol in famine-prone areas and some places hard-hit by HIV/AIDS.

“The identification of a condition as a disease, rather than as simply a variation of human structure or function, can have significant social or economic implications. The controversial recognitions as diseases of post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as “Soldier’s heart,” “shell shock,” and “combat fatigue;” repetitive motion injury or repetitive stress injury (RSI); and Gulf War syndrome has had a number of positive and negative effects on the financial and other responsibilities of governments, corporations and institutions towards individuals, as well as on the individuals themselves. The social implication of viewing aging as a disease could be profound, though this classification is not yet widespread

Condition

Almost all abbreviate functions of the human body, are natural  responses to a threatening condition. When this is understood only then we will be able to heal. Diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions, obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, etc are conditions that occur when there is an imbalance in the body.The role of all our systems is to create equilibrium. When the body is not in homeostasis, it tries to correct the problem to save the organism.

The condition is the message, and what medicine does is try to kill the messenger without fixing the underlying condition. Drugs are at best a crutch, at worst a toxic entity that is an added burden on an overstressed system. It is crucial  that underlying problems are addressed. Pharmaceuticals are a prescription for disaster, without addressing the real issues. Disease is the wrong diagnosis, except for projected earnings.