The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that up to 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease (although the number of afflicted is probably closer to 50 million as the NIH only includes 24 diseases in its count). More than 75% of those affected with an autoimmune disorder are women and the prevalence for autoimmune disease is on the rise. Understand that autoimmunity is prevalent within everyone to a certain extent. It is generally harmless in most people, but there are some in which the expression is more pronounced and is the cause of a variety of illnesses, some of which include, but are not limited to:
* Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
* Celiac Disease
* Psoriasis
* Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
* Lupus
* Ulcerative colitis
* Hashimoto's Disease
What is an autoimmune disease exactly? An autoimmune disease develops when the immune system, which defends the body against disease, decides that the body's healthy cells are foreign. As a result, the immune system attacks and destroys perfectly healthy cells and tissues. Depending on the type, an autoimmune disease can affect one or many different types of body tissue.
There are additional risks to having an autoimmune disorder. These risks include higher rates of kidney problems, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, more so than the rest of the healthy population. The connection of autoimmunity with inflammation, heart and kidney complications makes autoimmune disorders difficult to treat. The good news is that a lot of these health problems can be avoided entirely if an autoimmune disease is put in its place early.
At ACN Wellness, we emphasize a holistic medicinal approach (which is characterized by the treatment of the person as a whole, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the physical symptoms of a disease) to managing autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease is dynamic, meaning that it is constantly in motion, changing from one day to the next, and needs consistent attention and supervision to keep it in check. The practical results of holistic medicine lie in our ability to detect diseases at a much earlier stage in their progression and to evaluate the body as a whole. Holistic medicine gives our doctors the freedom to practice a number of nontoxic strategies for prevention and treatment of existing diseases. Our autoimmunity evaluation and treatment emphasizes the following:
* Nutritional Deficiencies
* Inflammation Markers
* Hormone Deficiency or Imbalance
* Toxin Exposures
* Balance of Bacteria and Yeast
* Detoxification Pathways
* Digestive Function
* Food Sensitivities
* Family History
* Undetected Infections
ACN Wellness can develop a personalized herbal and nutritional support program to increase your overall health and wellness, in relation to autoimmune disease, provide education for you regarding specific lifestyle changes to facilitate health (body work such as acupuncture or Chinese therapeutic massage may be suggested) and recommend nutritional and hormone balancing supplements to put you on the road to recovery.
With effective holistic therapies and programs like these available, there is absolutely no reason that a person afflicted with autoimmune disease should continue to suffer. Please contact the front office for further information or to make an appointment for a consultation.
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