Arthritis and Autoimmune Disorders
Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA)
When we envision the internal workings of the human body, we may
see the heart pumping blood, pushing blood through the more than
10,000 miles of blood vessels each of us possess, the lungs filling
up with oxygen to exchange with carbon dioxide coming out of the "used" blood,
and then pushing out stale air. We see our hundreds of muscles working
together to produce very fine and very powerful movements, we see
the digestion of foods into building blocks and fuel for this marvelous
body, and we see the body producing substances to repair itself
and protect itself from foreign invaders. Obviously there is so
much more than this, but when everything was perfectly timed, all
parts working in unison and toward the same goal, you would have
the definition of health. However, with autoimmune diseases and
conditions, something goes wrong, causing the body to work overtime,
and in the wrong direction or in two directions at once.
Autoimmune diseases exist when a person's body produces abnormal
cells, anti-nuclear antibodies, or ANA which, instead of attacking
the legitimate infectious and viral invaders of the body, turn on
the body itself. The tragedy of the situation is that ANA cells
will not recognize the healthy cells, tissues and organs, and will
attack them. Thus, a person's immune system becomes a confused system,
poorly defending against outside invading agents, and attacking
healthy tissues and organs. This is a problem with the memory T-cells
of the immune system. It stands to reason that any remedy that does
not address the defect in the memory T-cells, but rather only addresses
the symptoms caused by the problem, will not work. They may make
you somewhat better temporarily, but they will not work to bring
you out of that situation. The PROCESS must be stopped.
There are many people living with autoimmune diseases and the numbers
are greatly increasing. Autoimmune diseases may take many forms.
Here are some of them:
Multiple Sclerosis- is present when the immune
system attacks the nerve tissues of the central nervous system,
destroying the myelin which can cause (in its extreme cases) blindness,
paralysis and even an early death. It is, however, usually capable
of severe disability.
Rheumatoid Arthritis- exists when joint linings
are directly affected, causing pain, swelling and stiffness of the
joints. The joints can become severely malformed.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (such as Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis) - results
when the immune attack the intestinal areas, causing pain, diarrhea, nausea,
and abdominal cramps.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - usually exhibits
itself with extreme fatigue, rashes and joint pain. A rash on the
cheeks across the bridge of the nose is very common. Major organs
may also be affected, causing severe problems for the kidneys, brain
or lungs.
Psoriasis- (and some other skin disorders) - affect
the skin, and sometimes the eyes, nails and joints.
Scleroderma - exists when the skin and blood vessels
begin to thicken. Raynaud's (severe cold in fingers and toes) is
very often also present. Symptoms may include sensitivity of fingers
and toes to the cold, skin color changes, pain, and sometimes ulcers
of the fingertips or toes.
Fibromyalgia - symptoms includes severe fatigue,
overall body aches and pains, sleep disorders, stiffness of body
joints, headaches, memory and concentration problems, fluid retention,
intestinal problems, and other mixed symptoms. There are usually
several "tender points" scattered throughout the body
which, when pressure is applied, can cause a person VERY severe
pain, even causing them to double over. These "tender points" are
often a major determining factor in diagnosing Fibromyalgia.
Sjogren's Syndrome - is a condition affecting
the body's fluid-producing glands. These glands can reduce their
fluid output, and even finally run dry, causing a person to suffer
from dry eyes, dry mouth, and dry skin. Sometimes sore and aching
muscles, extreme fatigue, and other autoimmune and connective tissue
diseases will develop.
Diabetes- Some diabetes is caused by an autoimmune
attack on the islet cells of the pancreas reducing the quantity
of insulin released into the blood.
ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and AIDS- are both
massive autoimmune diseases that eventually destroy the whole body.
One thing all diseases have in common is the same cause; Acidity and Free Radicals.
See how Arthritis
and Autoimmune Diseases Develop
What causes
degenerative diseases?
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