When your immune system is healthy, it helps keep your body strong and fights off foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria. However, when your immune system doesn’t work properly, it attacks healthy cells and tissues, leading to severe complications and autoimmune diseases.

These disorders may affect any area of your body, and cause significant disability. Dr. Kimberley Shine and the team at Shine Health and Wellness are experts when it comes to treating autoimmune disorders. She provides modern diagnostic tools and personalized treatment to get your condition under control.

What is an autoimmune disease?

Your immune system is like the security system in your body. It’s made up of cells, organs, and tissues that work to keep invaders such as viruses and bacteria at bay. When it’s functioning correctly, you’re protected from harm and healthy.

In some cases, though, your immune system malfunctions, causing it to attack healthy tissues in your body. It isn’t completely understood why this happens, but it causes autoimmune disorders to pop up.

There are more than 80 types of autoimmune disorders, each one affecting different areas of your body. Some of these issues are more common than others and are sometimes hard to diagnose.

Common forms of autoimmune diseases

Many forms of autoimmune diseases can affect your body. At our facility, Dr. Shine offers care and treatment for some of the more common conditions, including:

Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s is a type of inflammatory bowel condition that causes inflammation in your gastrointestinal tract. The immune system can attack any part of your GI tract, from your mouth to your anus.

Type 1 diabetes

With this form of diabetes, your immune system attacks the cells that produce insulin. When you don’t have enough insulin, your blood sugar rises to dangerous levels.

Multiple sclerosis

In this autoimmune disorder, the protective sheath around your nerve cells is attacked. This affects the speed of the signals that are sent from your brain to your spinal cord in your central nervous system.

Celiac disease

This autoimmune system happens when your body can’t tolerate the protein gluten. This is found in wheat, rye, and grains. When you have celiac disease and eat gluten, your immune system attacks the lining in your intestines.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the lining in your joints. This often causes pain, redness, and swelling in the joints of your body.

There are many other autoimmune diseases, some of which include psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, and pernicious anemia. Each one of these disorders causes undesirable symptoms and requires some form of treatment.

Treatments that help your symptoms

When you have an autoimmune disorder, not all hope is lost. There are many ways to help control your symptoms, through various treatment modalities.

Dr. Shine bases your treatment on the type of autoimmune disorder affecting your body. Some of the forms of therapy she recommends include:

• Physical therapy
• Pain medications
• Corticosteroids
• Immunosuppressants
• Acupuncture
• Vitamin supplements

IV infusion therapy is another way Dr. Shine helps you deal with your symptoms. Through IV therapy, she administers vitamins, medications, and other nutrients your body needs to fight your autoimmune disorder.

You can also benefit from certain lifestyle changes. Eating a healthy diet helps control inflammation in your body and may subdue some of your symptoms. Regular exercise also helps you feel better and keeps your body in shape.

If you’re dealing with an autoimmune disease and need help, call our office today, or book an appointment online with our expert team today.