The Shocking TRUTH About Getting Autoimmune Disease

Dr. Stengler: When you have an autoimmune disease, there's something very important you need to be aware of. Research has shown that people with an autoimmune disease are much more likely to develop other autoimmune diseases — a phenomenon known as polyautoimmunity.

So if you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, celiac disease, Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Sjögren's syndrome, or many other autoimmune conditions, you need to be aware that you have a much higher susceptibility to developing additional autoimmune problems. Perhaps your condition has been well managed for a while, but then you start developing new symptoms that don't seem related to your original diagnosis. We have to be very suspicious that polyautoimmunity is developing — one or more new autoimmune diseases that need to be tested for and identified.

But we always want to take a step back, because the research is also very clear that while autoimmune disease often involves a genetic predisposition, there are also environmental triggers at play — diet, stress, digestive health, toxins, and hormone imbalances. These tend to be the root issues driving immune system dysregulation. If you have an autoimmune condition, you should be working with a holistic or integrative doctor to identify and address these root causes.

Take the gut as one example. We now know that the microbiome — the trillions of microbes in our gut — plays a dramatic role in regulating the immune system. Simply testing and treating gut issues can work wonders for an autoimmune condition. Then there are hormones: estrogen and progesterone are highly influential in both men and women, as are the adrenal hormones — pregnenolone, DHEA, and cortisol — which all help regulate immune function.

And of course, we live in a world with over 20,000 man-made chemicals in the environment. The literature keeps producing more studies showing that these environmental toxins significantly dysregulate the immune system. Identifying those toxins, removing them through detoxification protocols, and avoiding further exposure is very, very important.

If you have an autoimmune disease, be aware of polyautoimmunity, and work with a practitioner to address the environmental and root-cause triggers I've described here. Look for other videos on health and integrative medicine on my YouTube channel.

‍