Before we dive in I feel compelled to include the disclaimer that I am not an expert on autoimmunity. I have identified, and will include, some of the people and resources I personally consider excellent, expert resources on this topic for those who wish to dive deeper on your own.
I am only an expert of my own experience and, I have learned, I possess a knack for ingesting great swaths of information, finding credible resources and then distilling that information down into practical, actionable steps that can be utilized by the layman. Basically, I’m good at learning the technical jargon and understanding what that means the average Joe or Josephine can do to feel better.
So, What is Autoimmunity?
In short, autoimmune implies that some aspect of the body’s own immune system is damaging healthy tissue, instead of performing the helpful mechanisms it exists to do, such as fending off pathogenic invaders.
For example, in my case with Hashimoto’s disease, once triggered, my own body’s immune system erroneously attacks healthy thyroid tissue. Over time, the effects of that attack become more and more pronounced leading to greater and greater symptoms of the disease. Looking back, now that I know the symptoms, I can see how there were symptoms of thyroid disruption as early as my college years but they were low grade enough that for me, it just felt like my “normal.”
In my husband’s case, he would ingest a triggering food, and his body’s immune system would attack healthy tissue of the small intestines. This, in short, is Celiac disease but the ramifications and causalities of this disease span far beyond the walls of the small intestine. Like me, overtime my husband was also able to look back and see the low lying symptoms of his condition had existed long before they were pronounced enough to be recognized as a real problem.
It is truly amazing how accustomed we can become to feeling bad. Often, you won’t even realize how very sick you truly were until you start to realize how much better you can actually feel.
Based off of this simplified description, the best way to understand the concept of putting an autoimmune condition in remission is to say that it’s like “turning off” this immune system faucet gone wrong. But, why does it go wrong in the first place?
Potential Root Causes of Autoimmunity
The specific answer to this important question is going to vary widely from person to person. However, there is some general consensus on factors that typically predispose someone to developing a full blown autoimmune disease and/or preexisting conditions that, when left untreated, eventually devolve into an autoimmune condition.
Events or conditions that often contribute to the development of an autoimmune disease:
- Genetic Predisposition – inherited genetic “blueprint” predisposing you towards developing an autoimmune disease.
- Leaky Gut – increased intestinal permeability where the gut lining of the small intestines becomes damaged thus contributing to essential digestive functions becoming compromised.
- Stressful life event or season of life (i.e. – pregnancy or birth of child; foray into parenthood; physical or emotional trauma).
- This root cause will be dependent on either root cause #1, #2 or both already being a factor. Obviously, many people may experience an extremely stressful life event or season of life without necessarily developing an autoimmune condition. However, if you already have leaky gut or are genetically predisposed to an autoimmune disease, such a life event could be the fan that stokes an autoimmune condition into a full blown flame.
For those who would like to do a deeper dive into the mechanisms of autoimmunity and it’s root causes, the following are my top resources for further exploration on this topic.
Favorite Resources for A Deeper Understanding of Autoimmunity
- Dr. Tom O’Bryan’s “The Autoimmune Fix” does a fabulous job explaining the potential leaky gut and genetric predisposition component of autoimmune disease. Dr. O’Bryan also does a phenominal job at the end of the book offering very conservative steps to take to begin making dietary and lifestyled changes to address potential autoimmune disease.
- The Root Cause by Dr. Isabella Wentz M.D. for those who suspect they might be dealing with a thyroid problem she breaks down…
- Paleo Mom
- Understanding Autoimmune Pinterest Board