Amidst thousands of germs and bacteria existing in the environment, humans manage to stay healthy and thwart infections mostly owing to the presence of a complex and versatile immune system. It protects the body against myriads of foreign substances, microbial organisms and infections. While it may not always succeed in preventing attacks of germs and bacteria, it does reduce their onslaughts to a large extent. However, at times the human immune system acts in a wrong manner and this can lead to onset of specific medical conditions or disorders. This is what leads to onset of autoimmune disorder.
Autoimmune Disease: What Are These?
Just like a PC security suite can catch valid software as a rogue by mistake sometimes, the human immune system can behave in the same manner. When the immune system starts attacking healthy cells and tissues in the human body by mistaking them as harmful antigens or foreign agents, the condition is called an autoimmune disorder. The immune system may attack joint cartilage, glands and CNS. The affected areas are subjected to inflammation in most cases.
There are various types of autoimmune disorders in humans. Some notable examples are:-
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Celiac disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Diabetes mellitus/ Type-1 diabetes
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
The Main Causes Of Autoimmune Diseases
As a matter of fact, autoimmune disorders can be triggered by various factors. The main reasons for its onset are:
- Genetic roots
- Chemical exposures
- Extreme stress/trauma
- Leaky gut caused by alcohol consumption, pharmaceutical drugs and NSAIDs
Treatment Options For Autoimmune Diseases
Studies are being conducted extensively to find out more information on sources, nature and remedies of various human autoimmune disorders and available treatment options are not exactly foolproof. However, in general, these disorders tend to last lifelong and most of them have no fixed cure! The majority of treatments are focused on controlling and managing condition to reduce severity of impact on the victims. In particular, autoimmune conditions affecting the nervous system tend to get worse over time.
Mainstream treatment options for autoimmune conditions include usage of NSAIDs, Steroids and in rare cases, application of radiation therapy.
Why Opt For Homemade Remedies To Fight Autoimmune Diseases
While most such disorders cannot exactly be cured and you can try conventional drugs and therapies, the risk of side effects cannot be ignored. Besides, after a time your body develops immunity against frequently used steroids and medications. So, it makes sense to use natural and homemade products to treat the symptoms and reduce inflammation of affected body parts and organs.
Below listed are a few tried and tested home remedies for battling autoimmune disorders:
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Try to include animal and vegetable sources of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. This component is essential for fighting inflammation in the human body. Natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids include various selfish, shellfish and flaxseeds.
- Vitamin C – You need to eat foods rich with Vitamin C, especially fresh fruits and citrus fruits to combat onset and progress of autoimmune disorders. This helps restore balance in the immune system and aids it in functioning regularly.
- Vitamin D – Vitamin D can have an impact on as many as 200 genes in the human body. It can help the body fight infection and deal with chronic inflammation caused by autoimmune disorders. Apart from eating foods enriched with Vitamin D, you also need to get some sunlight every day for fulfilling your quota of Vitamin D. Examples of Vitamin D enriched foods are pasteurized dairy, sardines, wild salmon and cod liver oil etc.
- Turmeric And Ginger – Turmeric, an herb used in nearly all households and kitchens is known for its healing properties. The same thing can be said about ginger. When you use both of these herbs in your diet, you may experience improvements in slowing the onset of autoimmune disorders.
- Yoga – A lot of autoimmune diseases affect the human nervous system. Practicing yoga helps the body to stay fit, and gain better control on function of nerves. It can also help you to deal with inflammations to an extent. Yoga also works wonders for stress, which is one of the contributors behind the onset of these diseases.